


.....and so it goes

by thegreatstoryteller



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Elf Sportacus (LazyTown), Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Magic Robbie Rotten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-09-07 05:39:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 56,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16848202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatstoryteller/pseuds/thegreatstoryteller
Summary: In the dead of night, Sportacus hears a cry for help from the most unexpected source. Neither could know that one small action of selflessness from the town hero would eternally change their fates.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the most part, I've already completed writing this story, but I'm posting only one chapter, for now, to see feedback because I've never written a story of this type.
> 
> This story prominently features a gender fluid Robbie Rotten. I myself am not gender fluid but I do hope I have portrayed his character appropriately. If not I mean no offense and would love to get your feedback.

It had started with a cough. Nothing worrisome, just a regular cough, brought on by lingering cold weather. Then his nose had started to run. Still manageable. It didn’t keep him from plotting and scheming.

It changed when the fevers started.

Which found Robbie Rotten in his current position. Sprawled out in his favorite orange fluffy chair. No amount of medicine helped. Sure, it numbed the sickness but nothing would fully rid him of it. He was desperate enough that he was considering calling a doctor. If only he had the energy to get up and make it over to the phone.

The fever was running off and on, ravaging his already weakened body. He tried sleeping it off, but now the headaches were keeping him awake and driving away any restful kind of sleep. He moved limply around his lair, sticking close to his kitchen or bathroom. He hadn’t thrown up yet, but he felt it closing in. Yet, he couldn’t resist the lure of his chair, hoping for some kind of comfort.

Robbie jumped suddenly to his feet, bile rising in the back of his throat. Why did he have to leave the bathroom! He cursed at himself and his weakness for the chair! Robbie went as quickly as he could manage toward the bathroom, but the lack of food and the exhaustion were making him dizzy. Just as his hand got hold of the doorknob, his knees buckled.

Robbie went sprawling onto the floor, his head smacking into the concrete floor. Blackness crept into his vision. Consciousness was slipping away from him like sand slipping through cupped hands.  The bile in his throat burned and he turned on his side just in time to avoid retching on himself.

His body started shaking uncontrollably. Robbie felt himself rocking on the edge of a great cliff, and he was tilting too far forward.

He plunged over the edge into black waves that filled up his vision. He was too weak to move or speak. Panic overwhelmed, afraid he would die there on the floor. And no one would ever care enough to find out what happened to him. His body would decay into the very foundation of his home. His last thought escaped before he was pulled completely under.

_Help!_

\-------

Sportacus jolted awake in his darkened airship. Someone’s in trouble! His mind fired into overdrive. He jumped from the bed and hastily started pulling on his clothes. His crystal flashing wildly in the darkened room. Sportacus focused in on it, on who needed help. _Robbie!_

Sportacus paused for a moment, and then pulled his clothes on even faster. If Robbie was calling for help, then something _bad_ had happened. He would never willingly admit to needing help. Sportacus finished zipping up his suit and threw on his hat. At that very moment his crystal went silent. Sportacus looked down at it questioningly, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.

“Ship, open floor hatch!” Sportacus yelled as he dove out the open doorway and down into the night sky. He landed effortlessly on the roof of the town hall and sprinted across the rooftops to the outskirts of town where Robbie’s lair was located.

Once he made it there, he knocked loudly on the hatch that leads into Robbie’s lair. No Answer. Sportacus didn’t want to get yelled at by Robbie, but if Robbie was in trouble he had to help. He pried open the hatch cover and descended into the lair.

As soon as his feet hit the floor, he turned to look for Robbie. His eyes almost immediately fell on his foe, lying unconscious on the other side of the room.

“Robbie!” Sportacus raced over. Robbie was laying on his back, caked in vomit.

He hadn’t been out for long. Only a few minutes had passed since Sportacus’s crystal went off. Robbie was pale, and his skin was cold to the touch. Vomit covered the floor beside him and dripped down the side of his face. His breaths coming in harsh, laboured gasps. No wonder he had called for help.

“Don’t worry Robbie, I’m here.” Sportacus turned Robbie on his side and slapped him on the back trying to dislodge anything stuck in his throat.

Sportacus surveyed the area, looking for any towels or rags to clean Robbie with. Nothing. Sportacus stood and opened the door that was just in front of Robbie. He was greeted by the welcomed site of a bathroom.

“Come on, Robbie.” Sportacus lifted up the taller man and carried him inside.

The bathroom was spacious and surprisingly neat. A bathtub with a shower was nestled in the back of it. Sportacus gently set Robbie down inside the tub. Robbie’s breathing had improved, but Sportacus was still worried.

“Steam might help,” Sportacus said. He reached for the knob but stopped before he turned it on. Robbie would kill him if he ruined his clothes. Not that they weren’t already covered in vomit. Sportacus wasn’t taking any chances.

He reached down and pulled off the cotton nightshirt Robbie was wearing. Then pulled off his pajama pants, leaving him in nothing more than a pair of purple boxer briefs. Sportacus propped Robbie up against the shower wall and reached over and turned on the warm water.

The water didn’t reach higher than his chest, so there was no chance of drowning. He grabbed a washcloth and wiped away the vomit stuck on Robbie’s face. As much as he and Sportacus didn’t get along, the sight of Robbie like this made his chest clench in panic. But Sportacus had to keep it together, for Robbie. He could help him.

Sportacus wasn’t much of a healer, but he did have basic training in healing magic. All elves do. He didn’t think he’d heal all his ailments, but he could at least lessen his suffering. Sportacus grabbed a towel from a small rack by the sink. As he turned back he caught a glance of something shiny, resting on Robbie’s abdomen.

He hadn’t noticed it at first, in too much of a hurry to help Robbie. It was a circular pendant dangling on a long gold chain, glowing a light shade of blue. Suddenly he panicked. Robbie would be livid if Sportacus ruined his necklace!

Sportacus reached down and grabbed the pendant, and pulled it off Robbie. The chain was so long he didn’t even have to unclasp it. There was something familiar about the necklace, something he’d seen before, but he couldn’t place it. As the pendant was removed, Robbie’s body began to glow.

That was new. Sportacus leaned back in surprise. Robbie glowed the same blue as the pendant. Sportacus blinked and rubbed at his eyes, trying to understand what he was seeing. It was magic he was sure, but it wasn’t his doing. As he reopened his eyes, he jumped up in shock.

Robbie was gone!

In his place was a woman, an overly naked woman. Sportacus yelped and threw the towel in his hand at her. It landed squarely on her bare chest. A chest Sportacus should not have seen, his face burned in embarrassment. Who was this woman? Where was Robbie?

Sportacus looked down at the pendant. He groaned, abruptly recognizing what it was. It had been years since he’d come across one, but they were unmistakable. A glamour charm. Crap. Wait…..that means?

It couldn’t be? Could it? Sportacus looked at the woman again. Her hair was long and purple, flowing past her…….breasts. Sportacus face reddened further. He’d never seen her before in his life, but she looked familiar. He shook his head in disbelief.

The woman…...was Robbie.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, Robbie Rotten is a woman. The information rolled around in Sportacus’s head, but he couldn’t process it. Like a record needle continuously skipping over the same bent groove. He-She-Robbie!- was laying in the tub a foot away from him, still unconscious, and Sportacus didn’t have a clue what to do. This is not what he signed up for.

Was this just another disguise? Robbie was good at those. Sportacus on his best days couldn’t see past the man's disguises. But this was different. This _ had _ to be Robbie’s real body. The one he was used to seeing, the tall and gangly body, was just a fake, an illusion created by the charm. But why? What could Robbie have hoped to gain by this?

Sportacus took a deep breath, trying to center himself. When Robbie woke up he’d ask about the charm, but for right now he’d do what he was supposed to do. When someone needed it, It was up to Sportacus to give them that help. Sportacus turned off the shower and left the bathroom, leaving in search of some clothing for Robbie.

Robbie’s lair was thankfully easy to navigate. There were three doors that lead out of the main chamber. One to the bathroom, one to a warehouse room of sorts littered with mechanical parts, and the last lead into Robbie’s bedroom.

Sportacus felt guilty for rifling through Robbie’s things, but he couldn’t just leave him undressed, unconscious, and lying in the tub. Luckily after a few minutes of searching, he found a woman’s nightie. If he’d gone in search of clothes before he’d removed the pendant, he’d be a bit more bewildered by its purpose in Robbie’s closet.

When he turned around he noticed the layer of dust that covered Robbie’s bed. Does he never sleep in here? Sportacus went over and shook out the duvet. Literal clouds of dust flew off it. The pillows were just a hazard, if Robbie didn’t choke on his vomit, he would definitely choke on the amount of dust his pillows had accumulated. He tossed the pillows aside and made a makeshift one out of a sweatshirt. Not great, but it would do for now.

Back in the bathroom, Robbie was the same. Still passed out, still a woman. Wow, this was not the kind of night Sportacus had been expecting. He shook his head and set to work.

He kneeled down beside the tub and pulled Robbie into a sitting position. Which made the towel covering his front fall away. Sportacus kept his eyes averted, he had no right to see any of that. When Robbie woke up, and he was obviously going to be pissed, at least Sportacus could say he hadn’t been a pervert.

He pulled the nightie over Robbie’s head and stuck his arms through the sleeves, letting the rest of the nightie fall into place. Sportacus carefully lifted Robbie out of the tub and carried him to his bedroom. 

Robbie was so light, Sportacus had never realized before. Maybe because the few times he’d lifted him, he was fighting against him. Even in his usual skin tight jumpsuit, Sportacus couldn’t remember ever noticing any body fat. Which was odd considering how much junk food Robbie ate.

Sportacus laid Robbie gently on the bed and set to work. Elves were good healers, even when they weren’t trying to be. It was just a natural skill they possessed. They were beings of health, nature, and exercise. Healing was just another facet of that.

Time to help Robbie. Sportacus called on his magic, and his hands began to shine gold. He hovered his hands over Robbie, and let the magic drip down. It was a slow process, but it would be worth it. Sportacus didn’t trust his abilities enough to do any higher forms of healing. Trying those without proper training could easily hurt Robbie more than help him. 

This also gave Sportacus a way of seeing what was happening to Robbie. Whatever sickness he had, it was affecting his entire body. There were viruses actively attacking him, weakening his immune system and trying to dig their tainted claws into what little pools of strength he had remaining. It was no surprise now about him passing out. Sportacus was more surprised that he hadn’t succumbed to the sickness earlier.

It must have been because of his magic. Not Sportacus’s magic, but Robbie’s own. Sportacus could sense it once the healing started. It was just a small flicker at first, like it was hiding and afraid to come out. But as time wore on, Robbie’s magic started to mingle with Sportacus’s own. It was a gentle caress that left Sportacus feeling tired. His eyes started to droop, and he remembered he hadn’t gotten his full eight hours of sleep.

After a few more minutes Sportacus pulled back his magic, Robbie stirred slightly at the absence of it, but didn't wake. A bit of color had returned to his cheeks, and his breathing was nice and even. It was the best Sportacus could hope for right now. If Robbie hadn’t woken up by morning, he could try another round of healing. 

There was a chair on the other side of the room that was calling out to Sportacus. His feet dragged as he walked to it. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this drained. Then again, it had been some time though since he’d used this much magic.

He settled down into the stiff chair and thought of his bed back on the airship. Sportacus shook his head, he couldn’t leave Robbie yet. He was still sick, someone needed to take care of him. Sportacus’s eyes started to close of their own accord. He was right nearby if Robbie needed anything he was there. Sportacus fought off the sleep for a few more seconds before his reserve crack and his head tipped backward.

The two stayed that way until late morning, minds and bodies switched off. As dead to the world as bodies already laid in their caskets.


	3. Chapter 3

Robbie’s head was throbbing, but nowhere near as bad as before. He groaned and rolled onto his side. His fist clenched into the sheets beneath him. Sheets? How had he gotten to his bed? Robbie lifted his hand and rubbed his temple, but jerked back when he came into contact with soft, flowing hair.

That wasn’t right. Robbie cracked an eye open and saw silken purple locks dangling in front of his face. He sat up with a bit of difficulty, groaning as his stiff back straightened out, and looked down at himself. He was wearing a flower printed nightgown and sitting in his bed. That  _ definitely _ wasn’t right.

Last he remembered…...feeling like he was going to puke, running to the bathroom, then…...nothing. Like everything cut off after that moment. What had happen? Robbie glanced around his dimly lit bedroom and his eyes immediately fell on the cause. 

“What the hell are you doing here!” Robbie yelled. Sportacus jumped and fell sideways off the chair and onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet, staring at the now awake Robbie.

“Y-you were sick,” Sportacus said, flipping himself onto his feet. Robbie yanked away the blankets and stood from the bed. Sportacus had seen Robbie express a lot of emotions over the time they’ve known each other. He’d thought he’d seen Robbie angry before, he was wrong. Robbie was pissed. He looked on the verge of murder.

Robbie closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Sportacus raised an eyebrow in surprise, he had never seen Robbie show so much control over himself. “You took off my charm.” He said after a moment. Hands going to where it would have been resting against his abdomen.

“I hadn’t realized what it was, not until I took it off,” Sportacus said cautiously. Robbie scoffed and reopened his eyes.

“Of course you hadn’t, you don’t even realize how much magic I had concealing that I was wearing a glamour,” Robbie said. He glanced back down at his feminine body. “Got a good peak when I was unconscious. You must have, my clothes have been changed.”

“I didn’t!” Sportacus said quickly. “Well, I mean I saw a little when the glamour first came off.” He rushed. “You were covered in vomit, so I took your shirt off and put you in the shower. Then I saw the necklace and I thought you’d be mad if I got it wet and ruined it, and then, well…..” Sportacus trailed off.

Robbie crossed his arms but didn’t look any less peeved. Explanation or no, his secrets were not for Sportacus to know. That’s why they were called  _ secrets _ !

“So, you want to know about this then.” Robbie gestured at his body.

“That’s your real body,” Sportacus said. Robbie rolled his eyes.

“They’re  _ both _ my real bodies, this is just the one I was born with,” Robbie said. Sportacus’s eyebrows furrowed. How were they both his real bodies?

“Come on,” Robbie said, heading for the door. “If we’re going to be having this conversation I might as well make some tea to go with it.” He headed out of the room and to the kitchen shoved into the far end of the main chamber.

Sportacus followed him and took up a seat at the small table inside the kitchen space. Robbie filled up a kettle and set it on the stovetop.

“Now, I’m not here to give you my whole lives story, Sportaflop,” Robbie stated. “I’ll give you what I feel you need to know, and nothing more. Understood.”

“Understood,” Sportacus repeated.

“I’m not transgender, first off. I like my female body, it’s beautiful.” Sportacus wasn’t going to disagree. He knew the woman in front of him was Robbie, even still he had to admit she was beautiful. She looked physically fit, agile, delicate but also like she could snap a neck if she needed too. And she was shorter than Robbie. Sportacus had only just realized now that Robbie was standing at his full height. He was about five inches shorter than in his male body, making him just a little bit shorter than Sportacus.

“Are you paying attention!” Sportacus jerked up at the irate voice. He nodded. “Geez, a pretty girl shows and you suddenly lose your attention span.”

“Sorry, Robbie,” Sportacus said, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his head.

“Secondly, if I’m in this body I go by my birth name. Ruby, not Robbie,” He said.

“Ruby?” Sportacus said, trying out the unfamiliar name. It was a nice name.

“Third, I’m gender fluid.” Sportacus opened his mouth to ask what that was, but Robb-Ruby raised a hand to stop him before he could. “That means that I identify as both a man  _ and _ a woman. That’s why I have my male body and my female body, because I like to change between each gender. Most genderfluid people have days where they feel like both genders, or neither. But, it’s usually cut and dry for me: Man or woman.”

That explained the pendant and the excessive amount of female disguises and clothes that were littered around the lair. No wonder he/she was never wanting anyone to come down to the lair. What if they’d walked in and found Ruby instead of Robbie.

The tea kettle whistled loudly. Ruby pulled it off the stovetop and poured it into two ceramic mugs she’d set aside. Tea bags were then plopped inside. Hopefully, there hadn’t been any sneaky sugar adding. Sportacus wasn’t up for a sugar meltdown at the moment. 

Ruby walked over and sat across from Sportacus at the table. “It’s herbal tea.” She said, passing over one of the mugs. Sportacus sipped at the tea, it was chamomile. He loved chamomile. This seemed far to healthy a drink for Robbie/Ruby Rotten. Although Sportacus couldn’t make assumptions, he barely new Robbie. And he hadn’t known about Ruby until the previous night. 

“I’m sorry for taking off your pendant, I hadn’t meant to cause you any trouble,” Sportacus told her. “When I heard you call out for help, I-I just ran here without a second thought. You never call out, I knew something had to be very wrong.”

Ruby sipped at her tea, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

“Well, I suppose I appreciate the save,” Ruby said. It was strained, like she was pulling fingernails in order to say it. But it was still a thank you. Sportacus smiled brightly at Ruby and she immediately regretted her words. 

Once they finished off the tea, Ruby did her best to try and shoo Sportacus. He’d invaded her space long enough, but he was adamant about checking her over to make sure she was healing.

Ruby went over to the fluffy orange chair in the center of the room and flopped down into it. She made a content groan as her back made contact with it. So much comfier than a bed, in her opinion.

Sportacus stood over top of her and again pulled forth his magic like the previous night. She watched him warily. Always be leery of unfamiliar magic. The gold glow shined brightly on his hands. He held his hands overtop Ruby’s head and watched as the magic dripped onto her, like glistening honey. Absorbing into her skin.

The sickness that had plagued her the night before was almost completely gone. Small remnants remained, but they would pass within the next day. His healing had worked far better than he’d anticipated, lucky for him and Ruby.

Ruby sat patiently as the magic washed over her. It was very different from her own. Hers felt like water, cold and flowing through her like a wave. Sportacus’s magic was warm, it was like laying out on a fur rug in front of a fireplace. It was the warmest, coziest blanket she had ever felt. Her eyes drifted shut and she let out a small contented sigh.

“Stop,” Ruby said sitting up abruptly. She stood and pushed Sportacus away.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked. Ruby wanted to say yes, but he hadn’t. It was just her overreacting to the feel of his magic.

“You should go home, or go play with those kids,” Ruby suggested. Sportacus wanted to push the subject, but thought better of it. He climbed his way out of the lair and flipped away toward the sports field.

Ruby sat back down in her chair, pulling a blanket around herself. Suddenly colder than she’d felt in a long time. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sportacus lay in bed, awake. It was well past eleven at night, hours past his normal bedding. His eyes were closed, but sleep evaded him. He was so accustomed to sleeping the moment his head hit the pillow he wasn’t sure what to do to soothe himself to sleep.

Every time he tried to close his mind to the world around him, the day's events would come screaming back into his mind. Sportacus was starting to become frustrated. If he didn’t go to bed he wouldn’t have the energy to play with Stephanie and the rest of the children in the morning.

Sportacus opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. The blank metal ceiling, where the groves and seams of the airship met perfectly. He let out a defeated sigh and sat up. Yanking away the bedding and sliding off the bed.

“Warm milk, please?” Sportacus asked the ship. A panel in the wall opened a moment later and produced a glass of milk. “Thank you.”

Sportacus walked to the center of the ship and pressed the button to open the floor hatch. It sprang open and revealed LazyTown far below. The town was dark aside from the dotting of street lamps. Everyone else was enjoying a peaceful sleep.

He sat down on the edge and dangled his legs through the opening. A gentle wind blew up and tickled at his bare chest. It would have felt chilly to a human, but it felt perfect to him. The sweatpants he was wearing was all he needed.

Sportacus sighed and set the glass beside him after taking barely a sip. He wasn’t a fool, he knew why he couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, images of Robbie flashed in his mind; of him passed out on the floor, of him changing into a woman, him explaining that he was also a she, the way he’d felt when Ruby’s magic had interlaced with his own.

Robbie and Ruby. Two so distinct entities that were, in fact, the same. When Sportacus had returned to the airship after playing with the children that afternoon, he had taken to researching. All he knew about gender fluidity was what Robbie had told him. He needed more information.

The internet had spread out the information he needed right in front of him. Gender fluid is denoted as a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender. Robbie and Ruby.

Things he’d observed about Robbie over the last year of knowing him, suddenly started to make sense; The clothes, the acting, the secrecy. He hadn’t wanted people to know. Sportacus shook his head. As far as the world had come, it still trailed on equality for people who didn’t fit the standard of normalcy. That’s why Sportacus himself hid the fact that he was an elf.

Sportacus wondered if Robbie was sleeping, or if he was Ruby. She was Ruby. Sportacus was having a hard time trying to decide which pronouns to use. He couldn’t very well call him a ‘him’ if he was Ruby, and he couldn’t call Robbie a ‘she’. And he definitely didn’t want to pick the wrong one and anger Robbie/Ruby. For now, he was going to settle with gender-neutral words.

In the morning he’d visit them again. There were questions Sportacus had that he hoped would be answered. Would they be Robbie or Ruby in the morning? Sportacus was silently hoping for Ruby. Robbie he had known for a year, but Ruby was new. Were they the same no matter which body they occupied? Or, did they change habits and personalities along with gender?

Ruby had seemed more calm and patient than Robbie. Though that could have just been their way of coping with the situation, and trying to not rip Sportacus’s head from his shoulders.

He reached over and picked up the milk, chugging it quickly and standing back up. He felt sleepier. Maybe a nightly walk around and overlook of the town was what he had needed. Sportacus laid back in his bed, and let sleep overtake him.

 

\--------

 

Ruby paced back and forth in her lair. How could this have happened! She picked up a glass and threw it against the wall, satisfied by the sound of the shattering glass. Then scowled, thinking about the mess she now had to clean up. She picked up another glass and through it too.

She circled round to her chair and slumped down into it. Why did that idiot have to find out? This wasn’t what she needed. A nice Sportacus free vacation was what she needed, perhaps on a tropical island. But instead, she now faced the prospect of an elf who was going to be coming around asking annoying questions and meddling in her life. Why couldn’t she just be left alone!

That was the whole reason she had a lair, on the outskirts of town. Underground. It was her sanctuary where there was no one to pass judgment, to criticize, or try and change her. No one to try and make her normal. The thought made her want to through another glass, but what would be the point of that.

If she hadn’t gotten sick, this wouldn’t have happened. She could have lived on the way she liked to, and Sportacus could have lived on in blissful ignorance. But now he knew, and he was just going to ruin everything!

A corner of her mind tried to point out that he had come to her rescue. That without him, she could have possibly died. It was a corner of her mind she blatantly tried to ignore. Even if it was right, she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it.

She clutched the pendant around her neck tightly. It sat dully against her chest, the blue glow gone. It had been months since she’d last been in her female body. For the better part of the last two years, she’s mainly occupied her male body. Not for any particular reason other than her feeling more male. But now that she once again sat in her female body as Ruby, she strangely felt no desire to return to being Robbie. Not for today at least.

It was often decided when she first woke which body she’d choose for the day. Robbie had been the consistent winner recently. Although that could have been because that was who she fought Sportacus as. All he had known was Robbie, but now he knew about Ruby. Ideas started forming in her head about schemes she could do as Ruby. Maybe him knowing wouldn’t be so bad, as long as she got to terrorize him on a regular basis.


	5. Chapter 5

Another day began in LazyTown. Sportacus ran through the sports field with the children, excited to show them a new game. It involved both hula hoops and jump ropes! The children were enjoying themselves and so was Sportacus. They had begun early in the morning and now midday was rolling through. Sportacus sent the children home for lunch and told them he had errands to run, so they were responsible for keeping themselves active for the rest of the day _and_ staying out of trouble.

Stephanie smiled brightly at Sportacus and immediately took charge of the day's activities, with a promise to be careful. The children waved goodbye and Sportacus headed to the grocery store. There was something he needed to buy.

 

\----------

 

Ruby was resting in her orange chair, enjoying the blissful quiet. And then it was gone. She scowled at the banging coming from the hatch. Ruby pulled down the periscope and looked out at the area around her home. Of course, it was Sportacus. Well, at least he didn’t show up first thing in the morning.

“Come in, already!” She yelled up. There was the sound of the hatch opening and then a soft thump as Sportacus landed. He looked at Ruby startled. “Expecting Robbie?” She asked.

“Yeah, I thought you would have changed back,” He said stiffly.

“Nope,” Ruby Said, and quirked an eyebrow at Sportacus. He was trying to hide something behind his back. “What’s that?”

“Well, it’s a small peace offering,” Sportacus said handing it to her. Ruby rolled her eyes, it was a cloth shopping bag, of course, Sportacus couldn’t use plastic. He might accidentally choke a bird or something with it. “To say I’m sorry for finding out about your secret and disrupting your life.”

“It better be good.” Ruby opened the bag, and then looked up at Sportacus in stunned silence. Out of the bag, she pulled a quarter sheet cake, with ‘Sorry’ written across it in elaborate cursive. “How much did it _kill_ you to buy this?” She asked, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. The sight alone she was picturing in her head was making her sides hurt, with just how hard she was suppressing the laughter.

Sportacus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. It had been an all-around uncomfortable experience for him. Junk food and sugar of any kind he had spent his life avoiding. Having to buy a sugar filled, meltdown inducing confectionary desert was, in Sportacus’s opinion, worse than torture. But the look of naked shock on Ruby’s face made it worth the ordeal.

“And best of all, you don’t have to share with anyone,” Sportacus told her. She nodded numbly and walked over to the kitchen and set it on the counter. “How are you feeling?”

“Why do you care?” Ruby said sternly, rounding on him. She knew there was some kind of catch involving the cake, it was just an excuse for him to bug her. “I’m your enemy, what are you doing pretending to care about me?” She asked, the words sounding harsher than she intended. Sportacus visibly flinched.

“I don’t pretend. Two nights ago you almost died,” He said.

“You’re being overdramatic,” She said, dismissively.

“No. I’m not.” Sportacus's voice took on a cold edge Ruby had never heard before. “When I went to heal you, there was sickness covering your entire body. If you hadn’t called for help, it would have been too late for medical treatment.” Sportacus took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “You may not think people care about you, but they do. The kids even noticed something’s wrong, they were asking me today why they haven’t seen you all week.”

“They have?” Why would those snot-nosed brats be asking about her?

“Whether you believe it or not, they care, and so do I. You’re my friend, and I don’t want to see anything happen to you,” Sportacus told her, his hands shook with the effort it took to keep his voice level. He didn’t like yelling, no conversation ever needed to resort to yelling. But he hated that Ruby thought no one in LazyTown cared about her.

He watched her still face, waiting for her to say something. She didn’t. Instead she…..laughed?

Sportacus watched as Ruby let out a long laugh. It wasn’t a haha funny laugh that he heard daily from the children. It was strangled. It was bitter. It was broken. Sportacus’s heart cracked in half just hearing it.

“No one, ” Ruby said, her voice strained. Tears began falling down her face. “No one cares about me.” She didn’t move to wipe them away, she let them fall. “I’m an undecided mess, who's lived half of her life as a lie. My weakest attempt at being normal has me running around a town trying to drive out a blue elf, and I can’t even do that.”

“Ruby,” Sportacus took a step forward, reaching out his hand to her.

“No.” Her voice was thick, she swallowed a lump in her throat. “Leave, please.”

Sportacus didn't want to leave. You never leave someone alone in a state of misery. But this was Ruby’s home, this was her wish. Sportacus had to comply. He turned on his heel and headed for the hatch, steps echoing in the quiet chamber.

You never leave someone alone in a state of misery. The thought played in Sportacus’s head again. He wished that there had been someone there for him in the lowest points of his life who had heard that advise. He heard it, loud and clear, and he wasn’t going to ignore it.

Sportacus turned on the spot and looked back at Ruby, determination coursing through his veins. He walked over to her in three strides and wrapped her into a tight hug. She pushed against him, but he wouldn’t relent. After a few more half-hearted attempts she gave up, hands clutching tightly to the fabric of his shirt.

“I’m here, Ruby,” Sportacus told her. “I care.” She shook and he could feel the tears bleeding through his shirt. “I’m here, I care.” It became a mantra that he whispered to her for hours, despite her refusal to believe it.


	6. Chapter 6

Sportacus delayed his return to the airship indefinitely. He’d expected the visit with Ruby to be short and then to be promptly kicked out once he’d overstayed his welcome. But Ruby was in an emotional state, and he wasn’t leaving her alone, it was as simple as that.

Ruby had pulled herself to an acceptable level of togetherness, but Sportacus still refused to leave. So, Ruby retired to her chair and Sportacus took to doing pushups to her right.

“Don’t you ever stop?” Ruby asked, annoyed at his constant activity. Sportacus paused for a moment and then continued with a smile. He kept forgetting for brief moments that Ruby and Robbie were the same. Until they’d speak, with that same town of voice, same repressed accent.

“Can’t stop, not sure what would happen if I did,” He replied.

“Your heart would probably be so shocked it would convulse,” Ruby said. “You elves and your activity, it’s disgusting.” Ruby stood up and walked over to one of the walls. She pulled on a lever and the wall slide up to reveal a large bookcase. She ran her fingers along the book spines before picking one seemingly at random.

“What are you reading?” Sportacus asked as she walked back to her seat. 

“Nothing you’d find interesting.” She answered, flopping down into her chair. Sportacus stopped the push-ups and sat up on his knees.

“Humor me, believe it or not, I do know how to read.” He said. “I’ve even read books.” He told her with a proudly.

“Fine, it’s a book of essays, composed by a famous scholar.” She said with a smirk. Maybe she’d be able to bore Sportacus into leaving. It was an appealing idea.

“What does he write essays about?” He was curious? Was this some kind of trap? Ruby couldn’t help but wonder. She hesitated answering his question.

“Well…..he mostly writes introspectives on what he’s witnessed in his life. The way that he acts, the ways other people act. He takes things that others see as mundane and useless and tries to make his readers see them under a new light. He makes you question what the objects are, what their true purpose is.”

“You enjoy his writing?”

“It’s good work. His word structure is complex but simplistic in an almost artistic way. He writes with every minute detail in mind, so that there is both mystery and intrigue in every sentence. There are some others that only put words on a page, but he paints the words to truly show his story.”

Sportacus smiled brightly as Ruby kept talking. He’d never heard her, or Robbie for that matter, ever speak so passionately. They liked books. Sportacus filed that away as permanent information in his brain. LazyTown had a bookstore, maybe he could drop in. After all, reading is healthy for the mind. He may exercise his body to the maximum, but he’s been neglecting his mind.

“Do you have any recommendation for books?” He asked. Ruby visibly recoiled in shock.

“You want recommendations…….for books?” She asked. This was definitely a trap.

“Healthy body, healthy mind. I should definitely be reading more than I do.” He told her.

“What kind of books are you looking for?” She asked. “Fitness books?”

“No,” Sportacus shook his head. “Something to expand my mind past what I already know, something that will make me think.” There was a cutting jab at the tip of Ruby’s tongue regarding a microscopic mind, but she held it in.

“Fiction or nonfiction?” She said instead.

“Non-fiction, I don’t like all of those fantasy stories,” He said. Ruby raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re an elf,” she said. He nodded. “You are fantasy.”

“Eh, I don’t have to make sense,” He said with a shrug.

“If you can sit still, you’re free to stay down here and we can both read,” Ruby suggested, hoping he’d decline. There was no way he’d be able to keep still and read. A small part of her did hope he’d stay and read books with her. It had been a long time since she’d shared books with anyone. There wasn’t exactly anyone knocking down her door for the opportunity. 

“I’d like that,” Sportacus said. His muscles were already twitching from sitting the last ten minutes. The urge to do a backflip was coursing through him, but he resisted. Reading sounded nice, he’d loved it as a child, before he’d found his passion for exercise. He would sit under the tree outside his parent’s home and read for hours.

“Well, why don’t we start reading.” Ruby stood up and went to the bookshelf, pulling out a book and tossing it at Sportacus.

It was a small memoir, only about two hundred pages. Sportacus had never heard of the man who’d written it. He silently opened it and read the summary on the inside cover. The short paragraph was…..interesting. Sportacus flipped to the first page and began. 

The first ten minutes were the worst. The book was good, great even. The author wrote with a lot of relatable humor. But Sportacus hands were clenching the book in an effort to not explode. Why couldn’t he read and do backflips? Oh, that sounded like a dream!

Ruby watched in amusement at Sportacus's struggle. He was controlling himself enough to where he only showed the twitch of his fingers and arms. Ruby was impressed. The longer they sat, the calmer Sportacus became, and they both sat engrossed in their respective books.

Maybe Sportacus finding out had been a good thing after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Nope. Ruby was wrong. Sportacus finding out wasn’t bad, it was terrible. He was a menace. And he’d stolen half of her books!

Almost a month had now passed since the eventful night in Robbie/Ruby’s lair, and the ensuing book night. Where Ruby had made a fateful mistake. She had renewed Sportacus’s love of literature. Now not only was he making noise in the daytime with the children, but he came over every night to raid her books! He had to be stopped, this was unacceptable.

How did she get wound up in this mess, why couldn’t they go back to the way it use to be? It had been so long since she’d planned anything dastardly, her evil mojo was wearing thin. Her villain card would get revoked if she kept this up. It was time to do something drastic.

So, for the first time in a month, she turned on her glamour. When she looked in the mirror, Robbie grinned back at her. The plan was simple, okay not simple, actually quite complex. Robbie had whipped together a device that would fly up to the airship and fill it will a special gas. It would cause Sportacus to take a nice little nap, then he’d be able to sneak onboard and take back all of his books. Genius!

It was early morning, far too early for Robbie to be awake. Early enough, where Sportacus would still be sleeping up in his neat little airship. Where he’d continue to sleep for the whole day. As long as the plan went accordingly.

Robbie crept through LazyTown until he found himself standing beneath the airship. The plan had begun. Step 1: Jetpack. Robbie had already strapped the homemade pack onto his back and flew up. Step 2: Disable the ships defense system. As he flew closer a chip in his pack transmitted a signal that would knock out the system. Step 3: Board the ship. Robbie opened the hatch.

He floated just outside the ship. The jetpack whirring softly. Robbie clutched a gas canister in his hand, specially made for elves. Some of his finest work.

The sun was just starting to rise in the east. Sportacus would be up soon. Awake at the crack of dawn like clockwork. There was no time to waste. Robbie threw the canister inside and shut the hatch.

It was like taking candy from a baby. After the excess gas cleared, Robbie made his way inside. The ‘borrowed’ books laid in piles around the airship; on the floor, on the ship's console, at the foot of Sportacus’s bed. Really Robbie had expected Sportacus to take better care of them. 

“Respect for other people’s property is important, didn’t your mother ever teach you that.” Robbie mockingly scolded the sleeping Sportacus. “Anything to say?”

Sportacus slept peacefully on through the early morning. Robbie had half expected to find Sportacus sleeping in his normal costume. Turns out those aren’t the only clothes he owns, go figure. He wore cotton blue and white pajama bottoms and was missing a shirt. His hat was nowhere to be seen, giving him a view of the elves pointed ears. One other distinct feature caught his eye. The scars.

Sportacus was lying on his front, giving him an ample view of his back. The scars were in two patches on his back, right at his shoulder blades. Clear and straight, precisely made. It almost looked surgical, but Robbie couldn’t think of any surgery that would have required incisions in that spot.

“So, I’m not the only one who gets into trouble,” Robbie said. “What did you have to do to end up with those.” Robbie shrugged and gathered his sack full of books. Sportacus wasn’t as fun when he wasn’t awake to argue with. Robbie headed to the hatch but glanced back at Sportacus.

“I’ll see you soon, you’ll be wanting these back after all.”  He held up the sack and jumped out the hatch, engaging his jetpack.

  
  


\--------

 

“Why did you take them?” Sportacus had shown up the next morning. Face in a full pout, like a kitten that had been thrown out of a moving car. 

“They’re mine, you were hogging them,” Robbie replied.

“I was borrowing them, you said it was okay.”

“I said you could borrow a few, not half my bookcase.”

“Can I still borrow a few of them?” Sportacus asked.

Robbie scoffed. “Fine, but only three at a time. No exceptions.” Sportacus lit up like a firework and immediately pulled out three books for Robbie to see. He mentally cataloged the books.

“So, what are your plans for the day?” Sportacus asked.

“This” Robbie said, gesturing at himself. Currently relaxing in his orange chair, a piece of cake resting on a plate beside him, and a book in his lap. “A perfect day.”

“If you want the kids and I are playing kickball today. I’m sure they love for you to join.” Sportacus said hopefully.

“No”

“It’ll be fun.”

“Your definition of fun.” Sportacus’s smiled waned, but he had that look in his eye. It unnerved Robbie. It was pure, unwavering determination. Sportacus would dedicate his life to convincing Robbie to become active. “Go on get out of here, the ankle biters are waiting for you,” Robbie said.

Sportacus smiled and backflipped to the exit. Today might not be the day Robbie joined him, but Sportacus was confident it would happen, someday.

 

\--------

 

“Who will win! This will decide” Stephanie yelled, running off with Trixie. It was the final game of the day. The two teams were tied. Stingy and Ziggy vs Stephanie, Trixie, and Pixel. They weren’t exactly at even odds, for this game. Sportacus had been with Stingy and Ziggy for the earlier games but had stepped away for the final match. He had wanted the boys to win a victory for themselves, not just because Sportacus was on their team. 

Trixie and Stephanie were standing in wait as Stingy went up to the plate. He’d lose if they had any say in it. Pixel stood, ball in hand, ready to throw. Ziggy occupied first base, but he wasn’t paying attention to the game around him. A fact that would doom his team.

The ball was thrown, Stingy kicked it with all his might. It flew right beside Stephanie. She ran after it, tossed it to Trixie, who’d taken up a spot beside Ziggy at first base. 

“Tag!” Just like that, Ziggy and Stingy were out.

“That wasn’t fair.” Stingy mumbled as the group walked off the Sports field. It had been a long day and they were exhausted.

“Come on kids, I’ll walk you all home,” Sportacus said. The sky was getting darker, and the street lights were starting to pop on around them. “You all played like champions today,” Sportacus told them.

“We lost,” Ziggy said, shoulders dropping in defeat.

“That doesn’t matter,” Sportacus said, smiling. “What matters is the fun you have during the game. Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I did,” Ziggy said smiling. “You’re right, Sportacus.”

Sportacus dropped each child off one by one until it was only he and Stephanie left. They walked up the sidewalk to Mayor Meanswells house.

“Thanks for a fun day, Sportacus,” Stephanie said. Her smile almost as bright as her hair.

“You’re welcome, Stephanie. It was my pleasure to give all of you a fun and active day.” He said. There was nothing more fun than spending the day exercising with your friends.

“Sportacus, I wanted to ask you something…..” Stephanie trailed off and looked down at her white and pink shoes. Hair falling freely into her eyes. 

“What is it?” Sportacus asked. Stephanie wasn’t a shy girl, she’d always taken charge, since the day he’d met her. If he wasn’t around, she could be depended on to keep all the other kids active. What would make her suddenly shy and hesitant?

“Well, I’ve been wondering if Robbie’s okay?” She said. Sportacus paused. Why would-Oh! Robbie hadn’t shown up to cause trouble in quite awhile. Beside the airship stunt, and the kids didn’t even know about that. “He never stays away this long, and I just want to make sure nothing bad happened to him.” Stephanie was such a sweet girl. Even though Robbie hasn’t been nice to her in the past, she still wanted to make sure he was okay.

“He’s fine, Stephanie,” Sportacus assured her. She looked at him skeptically. “Really, he is. I saw him this morning.”

“You did!” She said. “Why didn’t you tell any of us?”

“Because I didn't see him because of any evil plans of his. Robbie and I have become friends.” He told her. 

“Really!” Stephanie said, excitingly bouncing from foot to foot. Sportacus was surprised by her happy exclamation. He thought the children would be unhappy about the truce with his former foe. “We should invite him to the picnic in the park on Saturday!” Stephanie said.

“I don’t think-” But the rest of the sentence died in Sportacus’s throat. Stephanie had those big, hopeful eyes. She was willing to completely bury the hatchet and let Robbie join there fun little group, just like that. Stephanie’s ability to forgive and forget would always astonish Sportacus. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Stephanie smiled and skipped the rest of the way up to the house. Sportacus scratched at his head. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he wasn’t going to back away from a challenge. He was getting Robbie to go to that picnic.


	8. Chapter 8

“There’s no way in hell,” Robbie said, not bothering to look away from his book.

“But Stephanie’s dead set on you being there,” Sportacus told him. Robbie scowled and set the book aside.

“Why does pinky even want me there?” He asked annoyed.

“Because she and I were talking yesterday and she was worried about you and-”

“Hold on,” Robbie interrupted. “Why was she worried about me?”

“You haven’t made an appearance in a month. She was ready to send out search parties to try and track you down and make sure you were safe,” Sportacus told him. Robbie opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it. His face stiffened, driving away any sign of emotion.

“It’s none of her concern,” He said after a moment. Robbie stood and walked over to the kitchen. He riffled through the refrigerator until he produced a tub of brightly colored ice cream.

“Robbie”

“It’s none of yours either,” He said. Robbie sat down at the kitchen table and tore into the ice cream with a large spoon. Sportacus sighed and sat down beside him at the table.

“Are we friends?” Sportacus asked. Robbie paused, spoon halfway into his mouth. Sportacus was asking tricky questions, again.

“Why do you care?” Robbie said, eating his spoonful of ice cream. Sportacus shoulders dropped as the words echoed back to that night a month ago when Ruby had cried in his arms. Why did he care? He didn’t know why, but he did. That was all that mattered.

“If you don’t see me as a friend, it doesn't matter because you are mine,” Sportacus said. “You are the closest friend I have, the closest I’ve had in a long time. You may not like me, you may barely tolerate my presence, but I like you Robbie.” Sportacus told him.

“Why?” Robbie asked. He couldn’t fathom why _anyone_ would willingly want to be his friend, least of all Sportacus. How could they be friends, aside from their love of books, they couldn’t be more different people. Robbie was cakes and leisure; Sportacus was sportscandy and exercise.

“I don’t know,” Sportacus said. “But I do know that I like spending time with you. I like getting up in the morning and going to play with the kids, and knowing when that’s over I get to come here and read books with you. That now I’m actually looking forward to the time when I can just wind down and relax.” Sportacus had the kids to play with, but they were just kids. He couldn’t argue back and forth with them like he could with Robbie, and it wasn’t even arguing now. He’d come over and they debate about writing styles, or about which season was the best, or the best time of day to sleep.

“It would mean a lot to the kids if you were there,” Sportacus told him. He hadn’t said the last part he wanted to, but Robbie still heard the unspoken words. It would mean a lot to Sportacus if he was there.

Robbie couldn’t help but wonder, what deity had decided to throw a wrench called Sportacus into his life.

“Fine,” Robbie said.

“What?”

“I’ll go.”

“You will!” Sportacus jumped from the chair, grabbed Robbie and gave him a tight hug.

“Don’t make me change my mind!” Robbie wheezed out.

  


\--------

 

Robbie paced around his lair Saturday morning trying to think of a reasonable excuse to avoid the ‘picnic from hell’ as he’d dubbed it. There were plenty he could think of, but none that would go over with Sportacus. Why was that elf so damn stubborn!

Speak of the devil. He was knocking on the hatch now. Robbie sighed and resigned himself to his fate. He emerged from the underground lair and into the blistering sunlight. Sportacus smiled brightly at him. He wore his normal blue get up while Robbie had settled for a purple button up and slacks. The jumpsuit look really wasn’t working for him anymore.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

“As ready as ever,” Robbie grumbled.

“Come on it’ll be fun,” Sportacus said. He grabbed Robbie’s hand and pulled him toward town. Robbie shook him off and walked behind him as Sportacus started to flip toward the park. He was getting exhausted just watching him.

Robbie walked through the town. It was odd, just walking through the town not planning any devious schemes. He rounded around the bakery and the park came into view. The children were laying down blankets in the shade of trees, and the adults were talking by the water fountains.

Sportacus flipped over a brick partition and landed next to the children. They greeted him brightly and eagerly started talking.

“Robbie!” Pinky yelled, catching sight of him as he walked closer. She took off running and tackled him in a hug. Robbie hadn’t expected it and the force of the hug sent them both sprawling on to the ground. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Stephanie apologized. She stood up and help pull Robbie to his feet.

“Are you both alright?” Sportacus said running over.

“Fine, no broken bones,” Robbie said, straightening his clothes.

“I’m so sorry,” Stephanie said again. “It’s just been so long since you’ve been around, I got too excited.” Her face scrunched up like she was going to cry. She honestly hadn’t meant to hug him so hard.

“No harm done, pinky. Just have to be more careful.” Robbie told her. She nodded and went back over to the other children.

“Robbie, good to see you.” Robbie heard from behind him. He turned and was surprised to see the words were coming from Mayor Meanswell himself.

“Never thought I’d hear those words,” Robbie said.

“Well, times are changing,” The Mayor said. “I hear you and Sportacus are friends now.”

Robbie stiffened. Not this friends thing again. The Mayor must have heard it from Pinky. He glanced over at Sportacus, whose eyes were trained down at the grass. He looked as guilty as Pinky had when she'd knocked Robbie over. Did he feel guilty over calling someone a friend? Robbie’s heart clenched at the thought. That wasn’t right.

“Yes,” Robbie replied. “We have become friends.” Sportacus’s head snapped up. Had he heard right? Robbie admitted they were friends.

“Splendid. Glad to see you both working through your differences. It sets a great example for the children.” Mayor Meanswell said. He turned back to the fountain and started talking to Ms. Busybody.

Robbie turned to Sportacus. He had the most dopey, happy smile on his face. Robbie held up his hand.

“Don’t start.” Robbie walked past him and over to where the children were. He wasn’t exactly wanting to help them set up, but it would be better than talking to Sportacus at the moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll put a warning ahead of this chapter. This is where storylines are going to start getting darker. This chapter will talk about some of Robbie's past before Lazytown. Which will include mentions of past child abuse. Thanks everyone, hope you're enjoying this story so far!

The picnic was nice enough. Robbie hadn’t been to one since he was a teenager. His family loved having them. Every summer, beneath the apple tree in the backyard, overlooking the pond. They’d talk and sing as the apples fell around them and they’d eat the sweet treats. Which he was never going to let Sportacus know about. As far as he was concerned a healthy food had never once touched his lips.

Robbie ended up sitting on the same blanket as Stephanie and the little greedy one. Pinky wasn’t so bad, but he was ready to launch the boy into the sun if he told Robbie one more time to stay off his section of the blanket. If he didn’t want people on it, he shouldn’t be hoarding the picnic basket.

“Are you having fun?” Pinky asked.

“I’ve had worse times.” He said. The little girls face fell. Crap, can’t have her crying and Sportacus come running. “I’m joking, this is a very nice picnic.” He told her. She smiled back at him.

“I’m glad you like it. Uncle and I spent the last few days putting together the picnic baskets.” She reached over and pulled the basket away from the boy, swatting at his hands when he tried to take it back. “I made this one special.” She dug inside and then looked around until she caught sight of Sportacus. She quickly pulled something out and hid it behind the basket. She kept her eyes on Sportacus and slowly slid the item into Robbie’s hand.

“What is this?” Robbie said dumbly, inspecting the cookie that was now in his hand.

“A thank you.” Pinkie said. “For coming to the picnic, and for being friends with Sportacus. He’s been happier lately, I couldn’t figure it out until he said you two were friends”

“That's- It’s not necessary.” He said, trying to hand her back the cookie. Happier? Couldn’t be. Sportacus was always happy, Robbie didn’t have any effect on that. Pinky was imagining things. 

“Oh, no,” Pinky said. “You don’t know how hard it was to smuggle that in here, that’s yours to keep. I won’t hear anything else about it.” She said sternly. Well, as much as an eight-year-old could be.

“What’s everyone doing over here?” Robbie jumped, and quickly hid the cookie in his pocket, as Sportacus’s voice called out.

“Having a picnic,” Robbie said back. “What’s it look like we’re doing?” He asked.

“Not being active enough. Who’s up for a game of flag football!” Sportacus yelled.

“Yeah!” “Alright!” “That sounds great!” The kids all jumped to their feet and ran to where Sportacus was setting up the game. They played for over an hour. It was exhausting to watch, adding in Sportacus’s flipping and twirling about. God that elf was nauseating.

Why hadn’t Robbie brought a book? It would have made the day better, or at least make it go by faster. Robbie laid back on the blanket, underneath the shady tree, and thought back to those family picnics. So long ago, so far away.

He and his mother would get up in the morning with the rising sun. They’d bake pies, and fight off Robbie’s sisters with kitchen utensils. The girls always tried to eat them before it was time. Their job was to clean the house while he and mama baked and set up the picnic basket.

When the pies were done they’d get dressed. Robbie would wear his favorite yellow sundress and put his hair in pretty braids, just like mama had shown him how to. Papa would work in the morning, but once he came home they’d all march out to the pond and layout in the grass. Mama would always get mad at Robbie and his sisters that night because they’d ruin their dresses, and their braids.

He’d run through the meadow to his heart's content, playing tag with his sisters, until their dresses were stained green by the grass. But it was never Robbie back then, always Ruby. He’d look back on the memories and it’d be a young Robbie chasing the girls, but that was false. It was always truly Ruby, back then.

“You’re thinking awfully hard.” Robbie jolted back to reality. Sportacus was sitting beside him on the blanket. Robbie glanced over to the children, they were still playing.

“There’s a lot to think about right now,” Robbie replied.

“Such as?”

“Life. It’s inconsistencies and its cruelties”

“Poetic,” Sportacus remarked. He looked back to the children. “Any chance you’ll want to play?”

Robbie scoffed. “Not in this lifetime, or the next.”

“Thought I’d give it a shot,” Sportacus said. Robbie had to credit him for his determination. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh no”

Sportacus raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. “I have been known to have a good idea or two, thank you.” Sportacus shook his head and smiled again. “After the picnic’s over, wanna go to the bookstore?”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch, call it a thank you gift for coming today,” Sportacus said. Wow, who knew being nice got you so many gifts. Robbie lightly patted the cookie still hidden in his pants pocket.

  
  


\---------

  
  


The picnic rolled on and it was finally called to a close as the sun began to set. Stephanie hugged Robbie again and thanked him for coming. Then ran off with her uncle toward home. The other children waved goodbye to him and went off to their respective homes.

“So, bookstore?” Sportacus asked. Robbie nodded and the two walked away from the park and down the sidewalk further into town. “I hope it wasn’t too bad,” Sportacus said. Robbie had been quiet, unnaturally quiet, it was unnerving Sportacus. There hadn’t been any witty comebacks, or the usual snark he was used to.

“It was fine,” Robbie replied. He had enjoyed the picnic, it was fun. But, the unexpected memories of his childhood it had summoned were leaving a sour taste in Robbie’s mouth. They made it to the bookstore, half hidden in an alleyway, squeezed between the post office and the sports shop.

Sportacus held the door open to Robbie and he walked in after him. They both took a deep breath as they were covered in the smell of leather book bindings and freshly printed paper. It was more intoxicating than liquor.

“I’ll buy you any book you want,” Sportacus said. Robbie went off deeper into the store. The shelves went to ceiling height, with narrow isles only big enough for one person to walk through at a time.

The keeper of the bookshop eyed Sportacus curiously from behind his desk. She was an old, haggard woman with rounded spectacles and a weathered face. He’d never seen her walking around LazyTown. _ ‘She must not leave the shop often.’  _ he thought. Sportacus went down a different aisle from Robbie and started inspecting the different books.

Meanwhile, Robbie was fuming about the fact the store didn’t seem to have any type of organization system whatsoever. There was Shakespeare next to Malala with Stephen King piled on top. It was infuriating just to look at!

Robbie took a deep breath and walked on, deeper into the shop. There were really too many options available. Asking a bibliophile to pick one book to buy among thousands was lunacy! And mean.

“Find anything, Robbie!” He heard Sportacus call from somewhere else in the shop.

“Still looking!” He yelled back. There was an angry shoosh from the front of the store. Yelling in a bookstore, not a great way to win over the bookkeeper.

Robbie eventually found a book that piqued his interest and sat down in the aisle to read it. He’d made it to page fifteen before Sportacus found him.

“What have you found?” He asked plopping down on the floor beside him.

“Book,” Robbie replied. Sportacus looked and read the name on the cover.

“ _ Annabel,” _ He said. “What’s it about?” Robbie sighed and closed the book, handing it over to Sportacus so he could read the inside cover. Sportacus opened the book and read the summary. Robbie watched Sportacus’s face soften as he finished reading. “Is it good?” He asked.

“I’m not far in, but I’m enjoying it so far,” Robbie said. He took the book back. Sportacus was looking at his hands, folded neatly in his lap. His face was doing that twitching thing it did when he had a question that he was holding back. Robbie sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Go ahead and ask,” Robbie said.

“I-It’s not my place to ask.”

“Earlier when we were at the park you asked what I was thinking about.” Sportacus nodded, he remembered. Robbie wouldn’t tell him then. “When I was young, my family had picnic’s all the time, at least once a week. It was tradition. I loved those picnic’s,” Robbie said, his eyes stared off distantly. He reached inside his shirt and pulled on the gold chain around his neck until the glowing pendant was resting in his palm. He swiped his thumb across it and the blue glow sputtered and died.

Then before him, instead of Robbie sat Ruby, wearing Robbie’s clothes. The pants which were too long and the shirt that was two sizes too big for her frame. Her purple hair was pulled back into a messy bun.

“My sisters and I were always the best of friends.” She said. Sportacus tried not to sigh, there was something so soothing in Ruby’s voice. “Lyla liked to climb trees, Blossom would pick flowers in the meadow, and Willow would run into the forest and catch bunnies and field mice. When they’d come back we’d braid the flowers into our hair and skip stones into the pond.” 

“Sounds nice,” Sportacus said. It sounded like such a happy time to Sportacus, but then why did Ruby and Robbie both look so distraught telling him about it.

“But, those beautiful days came to an end. Even when I was little, I knew deep inside there was something _ wrong _ with me. There were days I’d look in the mirror and see myself in the reflection, and I’d see my long, pretty purple hair, and I couldn’t have been happier about it.” Her smile morphed into a deep frown. “Other days though, I’d look at it and I wanted to cut it all off. Leave nothing but whisps.” Memories of the struggle she’d shut out for decades floated into her mind.

Ruby had to commend herself for holding on for this long. Tears pricked in her eyes, but they would not fall tonight. This was her story, she knew it well enough not to cry over it anymore. She had never told anyone about this, any of it. There were memories in life that were just too painful to put onto anyone else.

“And I did just that,” She said. “When I was eleven. My mother had taken my sisters to the market, I had stayed back to keep an eye on the house. That mirror was taunting me, showing me that long hair,” She hissed. “It wanted me to cut it all away, I’d grabbed an old rusty knife and cut it.” She growled, the memory actively playing in her mind.

“Ruby-”

“Mama had come home, and started screaming.” Ruby cut him off. “And when Papa came home.” Ruby swallowed and took a shaky breath. “He grabbed me by the arm and took me outside, ten lashes was enough to teach me a lesson, that’s what he’d thought.” 

Ruby didn’t say what happened after that. When she’d limped back inside, back bloody and voice hoarse from screaming. When her sisters turned away from her. When they walked away and left her lying, bleeding on the kitchen floor. How Mama had said “I know you’re a good girl inside, but you’re having wicked thoughts. Papa is making sure the wicked thoughts go away, remember that.”

“I had tried, I had tried so hard to act like I was supposed to. A good daughter, a good girl.” She said. “But the more I did it, the more it killed me.” Ruby clenched the book in her hands till her knuckles turned white. “My parents never understood, I didn’t either until they kicked me out. At the time I was devastated, I was fifteen, what was I supposed to do on my own. But it ended up being the best thing they could have done for me.”

Ruby glanced over to Sportacus. She had managed not to cry, but he hadn’t. Tears openly ran down his cheeks. It wasn’t right, someone so happy wasn’t meant to cry. Elves were creatures of light and joy, but all Ruby saw in his eyes were sorrow and pain.

“I joined a traveling circus after that,” Ruby said. “I loved the people there. They never tried to hide me away or conceal who I was meant to be, they encouraged it.” She smiled fondly. “There was a man there like me, who liked to dress as a woman. He gave me this pendant.” She touched it lightly. “I was finally given an opportunity to have the life I wanted, to be both of me. To be a woman.” She said looking down at her body. “And a man.” Ruby swiped her fingers along the pendant and its glow returned. Robbie once again sat beside Sportacus.

Sportacus didn’t say anything, he didn’t seem to be able to. The tears stopped flowing, and the already present ones dried on his cheeks. It was silent, for all but the sound of the bookkeeper sweeping in the front.

“H-how could they do that” Sportacus said after a few minutes.

“What?” Ruby asked.

“Your parents, how could they have treated you so-so terribly?” Sportacus shook his head, shoulders shaking. His eyes weren’t filled with sadness anymore, now it was only rage. Robbie rested a hand on Sportacus’s shoulder. He instantly calmed and looked at Robbie’s outstretched arm.

“When people are affected by something they don’t understand, much of the time I’ve found, they react negatively toward it,” Robbie said somberly.

“ _ I _ didn’t.”

Robbie smirked. “You Sportacus, are the exception, not the rule,” Robbie said. “There have been others, friends. Lovers.” He paused, fingers twitching. Hands ready to strangle those who had scarred his heart. “They’ve all reacted the same way my parents did. As soon as they learned the truth about me, they’d cast me aside like dirt.” Robbie shook his head, it was what they did.

Sportacus watched Robbie with growing horror. This is why he had been so distraught when Sportacus first found out. He’d thought- Sportacus’s mind ground to a halt-he’d thought that Sportacus would be the same as everyone else. Robbie probably thought he’d have rallied the town and driven him from his home. Sportacus felt his chest throb painfully. Robbie looked down at his book, eyes trained away from Sportacus.

Sportacus reached over and put a finger under Robbie’s chin, lifting it until Robbie was forced to look him in the eye. “I will never,  _ never _ , do what they did, Robbie. I swear to you on my life.” Robbie opened his mouth to rebuke him. “No, you listen. Those people who hurt you, who turned you away. They were all assholes.” Robbie choked on a laugh. Sportacus just swore!

Sportacus pulled Robbie forward and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Nothing too tight, just enough for Robbie to know that Sportacus was there, and he wasn’t leaving. Not for anything.


	10. Chapter 10

There was a minor crisis occurring in LazyTown.

The children had decided that Robbie was needing a reintroduction into the ways of good. Since he was no longer fighting Sportacus and had turned ‘good’ as decreed by the children. They wanted to do an official celebration. Which included balloons, party games, silly dress up costumes-the whole nine yards. (Even a few hidden sweet treats)

Of course, they were children, and Robbie caught wind of the plan early on. Children were too posture to keep anything secret for more than a few minutes. Especially Stingy, whom Robbie learned about the celebration from. He and Stephanie were arguing about which type of sweets Robbie would want more, cookies or cake? Stephanie was adamant about cookies and Stingy was just as stubborn about cake. So, to prove he was right he directly asked Robbie. Smart plan.

“I prefer cookies.” He told the boy, who had managed to sneak down into the lair while Robbie was reading. Glad he hadn’t come earlier in the day, a few hours before he’d been Ruby.

He smirked with glee when the boy's face fell at his words. Truthfully he preferred cake, but he wasn’t giving this greedy little boy the satisfaction of being right. Robbie would rather have Stephanie be the victor, she at least would be humble about it. This boy would brag about it for years.

Robbie’s gut reaction was to bail on the party, but…….his conscious reared its ugly head and reminded him of the picnic. Which he _had_ enjoyed.

Sportacus approached him in the lair the day before the party to warn him about the party, and didn’t seem at all surprised to learn that Robbie already knew about the ‘secret’ party.

“They just want to do something nice for you,” Sportacus said.

“I know.”

“It would mean the world to me if you went along with their plans.”

“I plan too.”

“You do?” Sportacus questioned, completely befuddled. Robbie smirked and sat up from his wonderful orange chair he’d been lounging in up until this point. It was always nice to catch Sportacus off guard.

“Of course, it is a party in _my_ honor after all.” Sportacus rolled his eyes and shook his head, because he knew, for as much as Robbie boasted and bragged, he knew Robbie liked the kids. He appreciated the children for this thoughtful deed.

  


\-----------

 

Stephanie came to the lair and personally escorted Robbie to the celebration, under the guise of a ‘walk’. The entire time she yammered on about various unrelated topics, showing off the uncoordinated twists of a child's mind. She was nervous about how Robbie would react to his ‘surprise’ party.

“I’m glad you forgave me,” Robbie said out of the blue. Stephanie shoes squealed to a stop on the sidewalk and she stared bewildered at Robbie. Her wide eyes contrasting comically with her pink hair.

After a brief pause, she asked. “Why wouldn’t we?” Robbie chuckled and ruffled her hair, she let out a disgruntled ‘humpf’ and went straighten her headband. Sometimes Robbie forgot how innocent children were, they were far quicker to forgive and forget than adults were.

Stephanie lead the duo on through a winding maze of sidewalks and alleyways until they ended up standing in front of the town hall. It’s three marbled columns towered overtop them, clashing with the mustard exterior. Robbie wanted to stick his tongue out at the ugly building, and he did.

Inside the lights were dimmed down to make the foyer almost black. Robbie commented (loudly) on how odd it was for the lights to be out in the middle of the day. As soon as the end of the sentence finished, the lights flashed on and Robbie was greeted to the sight of all the children, the mayor, Ms. BusyBody, and Sportacus himself yelling ‘surprise’ at the top of his lungs. If Robbie hadn’t known better he would have thought it was his birthday.

“We got you!” Stephanie said jumping up and down. “You didn’t suspect a thing.” She beamed with pride. Robbie smiled and thanked her for the surprise, not having the heart to tell her he’d known all along.

Sportacus clapped him on the back and smiled. “The kids really pulled one over on you.” He said with a sneaky wink. Robbie grinned back at him.

“Over here,” Stephanie said, yanking him over to the spread of food laid out on a long table. That had both cookies _and_ cake. The greedy boy got his way after all. Robbie would definitely take a few slices home, but he wouldn’t let that boy see him eat any during the party.

There were a few silly party games, but thankfully, exercise was not considered a party game. Sportacus did his habitual flipping about, but the children were catering to Robbie’s favorites today and instead of trailing behind their hero they entertained Robbie. A good first hour was spent trying to determine Robbie’s favorite board game and then Pixel making a mad dash to his house because he was the only one who owned said game.

The group managed to lock themselves in an intense game of RISK after that. Pixel, even though he owned the game, didn’t seem to care for it. Trixi thought it was boing. Stingy _loved_ it, he wanted to collect all the land. Stephanie……..Robbie saw the glint in her eyes went she won territory from her friends. The brief pause of guilt, and then the overwhelming thrill of victory. It’s always the quiet ones. Robbie grinned devilishly, perhaps he could take Stephanie under his wing.

As much as this was a party to celebrate his turn to ‘good’. The world wasn’t so simple to categorize everyone into two distinct factions. The lines were thin and deeply blurred, but it was hard for children to see the world like them. They hadn’t seen the evils the world had to offer yet. Robbie had, and he prayed they never would.

The sun dropped low and the kids yawned and waved goodbye, being dragged away by their respective guardians. Leaving him and Sportacus. The two walked through town, detouring into the park. Sportacus hopped onto one of the brick partitions and cartwheeled across it like it was a balance beam and he was going for his gold medal.

“Don’t you ever stop.” Robbie groaned. Was there such a thing as sports watching asthma? Robbie felt his alveoli constricting just watching the elf.

“I’m getting enough exercise for the both of us.” Sportacus retorted.

“You mean enough for us and an army of super beings intent on dragging the sun across the sky like Helios on his chariot.” Robbie expected the reference to fly over Sportacus’s head, but the elf just halted his cartwheels and scowled comically at Robbie, putting his hands on his hips.

“If I was being compared to a Greek god, I’d prefer it were Heracles,” He told Robbie proudly.

“How on earth do you know about Greek mythology?” Robbie asked shocked. Sportacus had even said the correct name, not the popularised Roman Hercules.

Sportacus deadpanned. “I’m a magical elf. Our entire magical community is built on histories humans have deemed myths and legends. I don’t know what you were taught as a child, but I learned _all_ of the ‘myths’ of the ancient world. And I was a well-studied student.” Smugness was a strange expression to see on Sportacus, but he wore it like he earned it. Which he had.

“Touché”

They walked back to Robbie’s lair. Well, Robbie walked like a normal person, Sportacus managed to go from the park to the lair in the span of around eighty-four backflips.

“Do you want to come in for tea?” Robbie asked as they neared the lair’s hatch.

Sportacus wanted to but hesitated. It was late, his internal clock was blaring 8:08. Yet……

“I’d love to.” Sportacus smiled and followed Robbie down into the bowels of the lair. They spent the better part of an hour drinking tea and arguing about different variations of Greek myths. Robbie knew dozens of versions Sportacus hadn’t been taught about, although that was probably because Robbie’s versions were much darker. Not that kind of stories children would be taught in school.

“Hades was not a bad guy.” Was how the argument had started. Sportacus would later regret those words for the rest of his life. Robbie’s eyes bugged and his head looked ready to spin around.

“Are you kidding me!” He proceeded to whip out an unhealthy about of knowledge on the god of the underworld. “The story about him and his wife is literally called: _The Rape of Persephone_!” Robbie was fuming. “He tricked her into marrying him with a damned spooky underworld apple, and because of that we don’t get to have warm weather all year long, because Hades pissed off Persephone’s mom!”

“He was funny in the Disney movie though.” The comment only spurred Robbie into further tirades, ripping apart the Greek god.

Sportacus was silently laughing, enjoying the night. He didn’t want it to end, but his body fought against him on the brink of exhaustion. He hadn’t stayed up this late in years and he was losing this battle. His eyes dropped shut and he slumped back in his chair, a cup of tea still in hand.

Robbie smiled fondly and pried the china cup from his hand. Even when Sportacus tried to fight his own rules, they still clung tight to him. Robbie draped a blanket over Sprotacus and went to his own room for a nights sleep. Sportacus would have a stiff back, but there wasn’t much Robbie could do about it, he’d break his back trying to lift the elf.

With a final look back at the sleeping man, Robbie closed the door to his room.


	11. Chapter 11

Robbie and Sportacus fell into a comfortable pattern. Sportacus playing with the children in the morning and spending the evenings with Robbie or Ruby, whoever was there when he showed up. But something had shifted, Sportacus couldn’t name it. Robbie was in a similar boat, he knew things were different between the two, but how?

The whole backstory and emotional sharing had definitely been where things had changed.

Ruby wasn’t ignorant, she saw what was happening. She would have been a fool to not see it. Sportacus was naive, he hadn’t caught on to his own feelings yet. But she’d caught her own. It had surprised her how long they’d kept themselves hidden though.

Several weeks had passed since the picnic. Robbie had been watching Sportacus do pull-ups from a pipe in the ceiling. His shirt had started to ride up and was showing a hint of the toned skin beneath. Robbie had stared for several minutes before Sportacus had caught him. Robbie had scoffed and told him not to break the pipe with his elvish strength.

The attraction made sense. They’d been spending a majority of their time together, it was bound to happen. That’s what Ruby kept telling herself at least. It didn’t calm her nerves in the slightest. Before when they had debated books, and Sportacus would compliment her or Robbie’s opinion she would answer it with sarcasm, now it was stuttering followed by blushing. What the hell was happening?

Her and Robbie seemed to be at a crossroads with Sportacus. Keep things where they were at, or take a step into the deep end? Whenever Sportacus came around, brain impulses screamed. Make your move! Go for it!

It was frustrating, and neither of them could think straight with Sportacus around. They needed to get away. To make a decision.

Robbie pulled a purple duffle bag from beneath his bed and began packing a few days worth of clothes. Sportacus could get on without him for a few days. He scribbled out a note and left it behind on the kitchen table, pinned down by a shiny red apple.

 

\-------

  
  


“Robbie! Ruby!” Sportacus dropped down into the lair, surprised to find it empty. A search of the adjoining rooms showed the entire lair to have been abandoned, devoid of any life. Sportacus glanced over and saw an apple on the table. Beneath it, he found a letter.

 

_ Good Afternoon Sportaflop, _

 

_ Going on a little trip, won’t be around for a few days.  _

_ Feel free to make use of my bookcase. _

 

_ -Robbie and Ruby _

They left? Without even telling him. Sportacus sighed and his shoulders dropped. Why did they leave? What were they doing? Questions spun in his head. Sportacus walked over to the orange recliner and sat down in it. He had been looking forward to spending the evening with them. What was he supposed to do now?

He glanced over at the side table. There was a half-finished book lying open to a bookmarked page. That was as good an idea as any. He picked up the book, flipped to the first page, and started reading.

 

\-------

 

Four days passed before Sportacus got worried. He shouldn’t have been worried, right? They were grown adults, more than capable of taking care of themselves. But the longer Robbie and Ruby were gone, the more anxiety built inside Sportacus. He hadn’t realized the staple Robbie and Ruby had become in his life until they were removed.

The children had instantly registered something was wrong, and that it involved the towns favorite former foe. He brushed them off as best he could. They didn’t need to worry, there was nothing to worry about. He kept telling himself that, repeating it like a mantra.

Once a full week passed, he was done. There had to be something wrong. When morning came on the seventh day, he went to check the lair, still no sign of them. It was time to initiate action. This wasn’t excessive at all.

Sportacus readied the airship. They could have gone anywhere in the world over the course of seven days. Finding them wasn’t going to be easy, it would be near impossible. Sportacus didn’t know any places outside of LazyTown that they’d go. The only place Robbie or Ruby ever spoke about or called home, was LazyTown. That gave Sportacus hope that they hadn’t gone far.

He channeled the airships radar to search out magical signatures. There was very little magic in and around LazyTown, all of it centered from either Robbie and Ruby, or Sportacus himself. That at least was a boon in Sportacus’s favor.

He circled the ship around the town slowly going farther out and scanning more areas. It was agonizingly slow. Sportacus anxiously did pushups as the radar scanned the area. Then switched to jumping jacks, and then pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

This cycle went on for another day before a shrill beep echoed through the ship. Sportacus froze, thinking he was hearing something for a moment, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. There had been an unfortunate mishap with the alarm earlier, and he didn’t want the same disappointment again. But then the beep came again. 

Sportacus sprinted into the cockpit and looked at the radar. Strong amounts of magic were surging around a hot spring a half mile to his north.

“Robbie, Ruby” He breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hoped it was them. He pushed the thought away violently. He couldn’t be sure until he checked. Sportacus piloted the ship closer, hovering overtop a forest.

“Open!” Sportacus called, running for the hatch. The floor sprung open in front of him and he looked down at the landscape below. The hot spring was out of view, covered by a thick canopy of oak and evergreen trees. “That better be you down there.” Sportacus hopped down and landed on the high branches of the trees.

_ ‘What would they even be doing out here?’ _ Sportacus thought. They didn’t particularly like nature, hated exercise, generally avoided the outdoors. Why would they be in the middle of a forest? Sportacus jumped down and landed quietly on the forest floor.

As soon as he landed, a flow of magic punched him in the face. He gasped and took a step back. There was definitely magic around, and it was powerful. He breathed in the magic and instantly smiled. He knew this magic, he’d felt it before.

Sportacus walked through the forest. The sound of chirping birds and foraging wildlife was drowned out by nearby rushing water. Around a girthy tree, the spring came into view.

It was cut deep into the ground with ledges of rocks hanging underneath it, dumping fresh water. Steam blanketed the area and moistened the dry forest air. Moss grew in thick clumps around the edge where water and stone met.

And there was Ruby.

Hair piled on her head, back resting against the springs stone rim. She faced away from Sportacus, but from what he could see, she was naked. He should not be here. Sportacus took a step back away from her, but a twig materialized beneath his foot. Ruby whipped around, ready to attack an intruder.

“Sportacus?”

“S-sorry, I hadn’t meant to-” Sportacus hurriedly backed away.

“Wait, don’t go,” Ruby said. Sportacus paused and looked at her cautiously. “Come here.” She beckoned him over. Sportacus walked closer, carefully averting his eyes. The water was bubbling like a jacuzzi so he couldn’t see beneath the surface, but he still wanted to protect Ruby’s modesty. Sportacus stopped a few feet from the edge of the water.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Sportacus said in a rush. “You’ve been gone over a week and I just-”

“A week?” Ruby said stunned. She hadn’t realized that much time had passed. Ruby turned around and rested her elbows on the edge of the spring. “It feels like only a day has passed.” She told Sportacus. “I hadn’t meant to be gone so long.” She shook her head.

“The note you left made it sound like you’d be gone for a few days, so when you were gone for a week I…..” Sportacus trailed off and rubbed at the back of his head.

“You got worried?” She offered. He nodded and smiled at her. “It was my fault for worrying you, it wasn’t my intention.” She told him honestly.

“I know.”

“The water’s power consumed me, and I lost track of time,” Ruby said.

“The water?”

“You haven’t figured it out, yet?” She questioned, a smug grin on her face.

Figured what out? Whatever it was, it involved water.

“Tell me,” Sportacus said. Ruby smiled and pushed away from the water’s edge, swimming to the center of the spring. The water swirled around her, lapping against her bare skin. Magic floated thickly in the air, rising up from the water itself. Was Ruby doing that?

The water itself began to spin in circles around Ruby, behaving with a mind of its own. It crashed into the edge of the spring and overtopped it, soaking Sportacus’s shoes. Ruby grinned and raised up her arms, the water followed, flowing up in the air like rain returning to the sky.

Sportacus watched in amazement. He had never seen water magic in person. Water spirits were so rare in this day and age, they were nearly unheard of. A race of magical beings nearly wiped out by humans destroying the world's ecosystems.

All at once the magic ended. The water floating above him came raining down, drenching him. He shook himself like a dog, trying unsuccessfully to rid himself of the water. It was no use, he was soaked to the bone.

“Have you figured it out yet?” Ruby asked, swimming back to the pool's edge.

“You’re a water spirit.” Ruby rolled her eyes.

“Well, that’s pretty obvious. Can you figure out which type?” she asked. Sportacus shrugged his shoulders. He wasn’t an expert on water spirits. Ruby smirked. “I’m a Nymph.”

“Woah” Nymph’s were commonplace enough in the magical community, but specialized Nymphs were increasingly scarce. Their blood had mixed with lesser species and all but killed them off.

Sportacus took a step closer to her and flinched at the squishing sound his shoes made. The amazement shook away, and Sportacus stood in his soaked clothes in a chilly forest. It was making him uncomfortable. Which Ruby immediately picked up on.

“You’re so wet, Sportacus.” She said, a wicked grin plastered on her face. “Why don’t you take off your clothes. To let them dry on the branches.” She spoke innocently, but there was a mischievous edge to her voice. Sportacus eyed her cautiously but silently agreed with her suggestion. He pulled off his shirt, and then his pants, hanging them over a nearby branch. He had more clothes in the airship, but he didn’t want to leave Ruby, he’d only just found her.

He stood awkwardly in just a pair of light blue boxers, and his trademark hat. Ruby couldn’t remember ever seeing him remove it. She’d only ever seen the pointy ears that she knew laid beneath one time. When Sportacus had been sleeping the day she broke into the airship.

“Come here,” Ruby said. Sportacus kneeled down, so he and Ruby were closer to eye level. “I came here to think,” Ruby told him. “To make a decision on a very important topic.” Her voice dropped low and husky as she spoke. “A decision about you.”

“Me?” Sportacus asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

“Yes, you,” Ruby said in a slow breath. Her hands raised up slowly and laid gently on either side of Sportacus’s face. He felt her fingers stroking his cheeks lightly. What was she doing? It was nice. His heart beat faster in his chest, throbbing wildly the longer Ruby’s hands stayed on him.

Ruby rose up from the water, face closing the gap between them. Sportacus stared into her half-lidded eyes, his gaze avoiding her bare body. He was a gentleman and it wasn’t his place to see her naked.

Without hesitation, Ruby closed the rest of the space between them. Sure lips met unsuspecting lips. It lasted only a few seconds. Sportacus fell back, landing hard on the ground behind him.

Eyes blown wide he stared at Ruby before he remembered she was naked. He scrambled to his feet. Thoughts ran through his head, screaming at him to do something. So he did what he was best at. He ran.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, apologies for what you're about to read. I'm sorry to Sportacus and will take this time to admit I am a horrible human being. Have tissues ready.

Sportacus sprinted until he stood beneath the airship. 

“Ladder!” He yelled up. The ladder sprung down and Sportacus escaped up it into the safety of his home. The floor hatch snapped shut behind him, and he finally took the time to breathe. He sunk down against the wall. What was happening!

Ruby kissed him. What? Why? A growing ache pounded in his head. Was she playing some kind of trick at his expense? No. Ruby might have done that in the past, but now they were friends, they had an understanding. His head spun round painfully. Ruby was his friend, his best friend. He’d never had anyone in his life like her.

Why had she kissed him?

“Oh, I’m an idiot,” Sportacus said out loud. The realization smacked him. Why do people usually kiss? She liked him. She was interested in him, romantically. Sportacus felt like a five-year-old who just found out you aren’t supposed to eat paste. He rubbed at his temples.

And he’d run away. Crap. Ruby opened up and expressed feelings to him, and his immediate response had been to run away. He deserved to be smacked. Everything she’s been through, the hell her family put her through, and he was putting her through more. The most painful parts of her life she’d shared with him, memories she’d held to herself for years. She and Robbie had already suffered countless atrocities, and here he was running away from her affection.

Now he was sitting on the floor in his airship, in nothing but his boxers and cap, still soaking. With Ruby in the hot spring probably wondering why Sportacus had such a bad reaction to a simple kiss. She hadn't done anything wrong, but he’d treated her like she was repulsive.

“If it’s any consolation, I’m sorry for startling you.” Sportacus jumped to his feet, ready to attack. He groaned, realizing it was just Ruby, standing beside the open floor hatch. He hadn’t even heard it open, he was really out of it.

“Sorry, Ruby.”

“We’ve said the word sorry a lot tonight.” She said, coming to stand beside him. She’d put clothes on. A white silk robe was draped over her shoulders and tied loosely at her waist. It only went to about mid-thigh length. Sportacus felt uncomfortable looking at her. The fabric was very thin and left little to the imagination.

“I know, but I am sorry.” Ruby looked around.

“You have a really nice home,” Ruby said, artfully changing the subject. That’s right Ruby’s never been up to the airship, aside from her thieving trip a few months ago. Wow, he is a terrible friend. She walked around looking at the pristinely kept home. “You care about this place, it really shows.”

“Uh, thank you.” Ruby ran her fingers along the walls of the ship before coming to stand in front of him. Her gaze drifted down to his feet and then back up to his eyes.

“I truthfully hadn’t meant to startle you back there.” She craned her head back toward the hot spring. “Actually, no that’s a lie,” Ruby said. “I knew kissing you would be startling, just not as much as it did. I’m sorry for that.”

“I overreacted,” Sportacus told her. “It’s been a while since I was last kissed.” Ruby raised an eyebrow.

“That surprises me. I would have thought all the single women of LazyTown would have been spending there days trying to corner you in dark alleyways.”

“Oh, they have,” He said, shuddering. Those were a few memories he’d spend his life repressing. “I always turn them down.”

“Why?” A three letter word that was a loaded gun.

“It’s complicated.” He said.

“Don’t go shutting me out,” Ruby said, with the kindest smile she could manage. “I’ve shared my past, my soul to you. The very least you could do is share it back.” Sportacus didn’t want to tell her, he wanted to lie and just have them both forget this day. To go back to how they had been only a few days ago. But she was right. 

Hoarding emotions and memories, even painful ones…….it wasn’t helping ease his suffering. They just festered, leaving behind a trail of bitterness. Sportacus sighed, mentally preparing himself for the what was to come.

“The last time I was in a relationship, it didn’t go well.” He said.

“How bad? On a scale from Romeo and Juliet to Bonnie and Clyde?” She asked.

“Oedipus and Jocasta” He answered. Ruby whistled.

“That’s pretty bad.”

“She’s not dead, but it ended in a lot of pain.” He told her. “We burned bright together, but when we came crashing down we ripped each other apart like animals.” He shook his head. “I’ve never been able to look at another woman since her.”

“Does she have a name?” Ruby asked. Sportacus bit at his lip, he hadn’t said her name in years.

“Charlotte.” It was like vomiting needles.

“Come here.” Ruby grabbed Sportacus’s hand and pulled him over to the wall. The two sat down side-by-side, backs to the wall. “Tell me about Charlotte.” Sportacus hissed in a breath. “I know you don’t want to, but as cliche as it sounds, talking is the best evidentially supportive way to cope with traumatic experiences.”

Sportacus huffed. “There’s no getting over this.”

“Stop acting so superior. If you think I don’t understand what you’ve gone through you’re just being ignorant. So the exact circumstances may not match, but I know pain and heartbreak.” Ruby told him. “Do you doubt me on that?” Sportacus shook his head.

“I know you mean well Ruby, but-”

“Sportacus, you  _ will _ listen to me. You are stuck in a terrible memory of the past that is keeping you from living in the present. She may be long gone, but she still has as much a hold on you now as she did then. If you keep your eyes set on her, you will-” Ruby took a steady breath, trying to calm herself. “You will  _ never _ have a future.”

What good would this accomplish? Sportacus had spent years trying to forget Charlotte. What could Ruby do that he hadn’t already tried? He didn’t need someone to psychoanalyze him, to say how he thought was wrong. He looked at Ruby. Her face eager and genuine. She thought talking would help, it couldn’t possibly make it worse. Sportacus trusted her.

“What do you want me to say?” He asked.

“Tell me about her,” Ruby said. “Anything about her, everything about her.”

“She was-” He paused, thinking of a response. “Smart, pretty, kind, generous, overly sympathetic, couldn’t cook to save her life, had a deep fear of lightning.” Sportacus smiled sadly. “I remember a night, the storms were coming in. The rain had just started, and the lightning and thunder were close behind. There was a knock on my bedroom window. There she was, soaking in the rain.” He smiled. “I let her inside and held her through the night, hiding her away.”

“That was sweet of you,” Ruby said. “How long were you together?”

“Seven years,” Sportacus answered immediately. “We started seeing each other when we were twelve.”

“That’s impressive.”

“We’d known one another since birth, our parents were friends. I can remember my earliest memories were playing with her. We were best friends, and then lovers.” Sportacus chuckled. “I remember the first time I told her that I loved her. We were walking down a dirt path. She was wearing a polka dotted dress and white lace gloves.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Her face was partly obscured by her sun hat, and she smelled like the lilacs she’d picked that morning. She was telling me about her favorite book, and I just blurted it out.” 

“That’s right!” Sportacus said, having a minor epiphany. “That was why I stopped reading books, she loved them. She would stay up late into the night reading, and I would climb the ivy that grew up her house to sneak into her room at night.” Sportacus shuddered remembering the few times her parents had found them. Sportacus remembered running for his life with the sound of shotgun fire in the distance. His lips curled into a smile.

“What happened at the end?” Ruby asked. She was curious, what could this woman have done to shatter Sportacus so completely. And where was she today so Ruby could go and kick her ass.

Sportacus’s face stretched into a deep frown. This was the part he didn’t want to tell.

“I went to her house. It was a Friday night, the sun had just set, and twilight had begun. She was studying for a major exam for University. She’d asked me to stay away so she could concentrate, but I couldn’t.” He hadn’t wanted to spend a moment away from her. “I’d picked wildflowers on my way over, tied them with a red ribbon, and was ready to show off my splendid gift.” He paused, letting the memories settle before he spoke again.

“I scaled the ivy and hoisted myself up to her window ledge. I peered inside, expecting to see her studying.” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “but she wasn’t, and she wasn’t alone.” His voice shook. “She was on the bed, naked, and a man was on top of her.”

“She cheated on you,” Ruby said disgusted. What kind of a vile woman could cheat on Sportacus? She was absolutely tracking her down and grinding her into a gooey paste. 

“She didn’t  _ just _ cheat on me,” Sportacus said. “She cheated on me…….with my father.” Ruby gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth. A myriad of emotions flew through her, mostly fury and disgust. 

“That bitch!” Sportacus’s face scrunched up at the use of profanity. Even if it was deserved.

“Yeah, that was not a high point in my life.”

“What happened after?” Ruby couldn’t help herself. This wasn’t a normal case of cheating. Sportacus’s parents were married she knew that, but Sportacus hadn’t mentioned a divorce or a scandalous affair.

“My father divorced my mother shortly thereafter, and married Charlotte,” Sportacus said.

“So, Charlotte is your….” Ruby trailed off, not wanting to say it.

“My stepmother,” He finished. “And the mother of my half-brother, and half-sister.”

“Oh, that’s fucked up,” she said.

“Yup.” Sportacus nodded in agreement.

“Family gatherings are pretty tense I take it.”

“I haven’t spoken to father or Charlotte since that day,” Sportacus said. “I went home, told my mother, and we both left.” Just like that two relationships ended. “I didn't even find out about my half siblings until they were teenagers. My sister contacted me and wanted to meet.”

“Do you speak with your siblings?”

“Yeah, my brother’s pretty cool. We speak once a week, my sister calls to talk once a month.” He told her. “But, that first meeting was not done under good circumstances.”

“What happened?”

“My father had recently passed away, and they were trying to contact me to tell me.” He said. “I had sealed myself away from their family, it took them months to track me down. I missed the funeral, but I wouldn’t have gone anyway. That man had no place in my life.” He stared down at his hands. It had been so long that now he didn’t feel anger towards his father, it had withered and died. Now all he felt was a festering numbness.

“They both betrayed you,” Ruby said. “What they did was putrid.”

“My father was a despicable man,” Sportacus said. “From the day I was born, he saw me as lesser.”

“Why?”

Sportacus took a deep breath and his hands balled into tight fists. “When I was born he didn’t have a way of knowing, he knew my mother’s heritage but she hadn’t shown, so he hoped….” Sportacus trailed off. “He hoped I’d just be a normal elf, but that wasn’t destined.” Sportacus’s shoulders started to shake. Ruby moved closer to him, head coming to rest on his shoulder.

“What did he do?”

“My mother has fairy blood.” Fairy? Why did that……...Oh, god no. The scars. Ruby’s mind flashed back to her break in on the airship. The surgical cuts she’d seen crossing over Sportacus’s shoulder blades. His wings. No, it was unthinkable. His father had…..had cut off his wings.

Ruby lifted her arm and wrapped it around Sportacus. Pulling him close to her.

“The night my wings emerged I went to my father to show him. They were so beautiful, glistening glossmar blue. They were itchy, wanting me to take to the sky. I couldn’t contain myself, they fluttered and kept my feet from touching the ground.” It was one of the times in his life he remembered experiencing pure bliss. “He took one look at them, grabbed me and took me to the basement. My mother was behind him screaming.” The sounds still echoed in his ears.  _ ‘No, don’t! Stop! He’s just a boy!’ _

“He was a monster.” Ruby’s voice hitched as she spoke.

“He locked the door behind us and strapped me to the bed down there. I was awake for the entire process. I remember the exact moment that I couldn’t feel my wings anymore. When they and I were completely severed from one another.” When the muscles that he had only just discovered were severed, leaving only phantom threads of what once was. 

Ruby’s heart clutched painfully in her chest. Her family had tried to curtail her from behaving like a boy when she was young, but when they realized she couldn’t be controlled, they let her go. Sportacus was forcefully mutilated by his father because of his fairy blood.

Ruby knew the stigma that revolved around fairies. They were considered inferior by many of the older races. Beings whose purpose was considered meaningless, especially by elves. How Sportacus’s father had ended up married to a woman of fairy blood in the first placed baffled her.

“You and your mother didn’t deserve the hell he put you through,” Ruby said.

“Most people don’t do anything that warrants the tragedies that befall them, and still they happen,” Sportacus said, voice falling away to a hushed whisper.

The pair sat side-by-side, heads tilted to rest against one another. Farther off in the ship a clock struck 8:08 and Sportacus closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep. Ruby watched, a smile on her lips. At least the troubles of his life didn’t follow him into his dreams. She turned her head and placed a gentle kiss onto his forehead.

Tomorrow they could talk about the kiss. Sportacus had been through enough tonight, he earned a good night's rest. Ruby closed her eyes and accompanied Sportacus into a surprisingly peaceful slumber.


	13. Chapter 13

Ruby woke to the smell off…….eggs? Wait a minute. She inhaled another deep breath, yup that was eggs. Ruby shifted. Why did her lair smell like eggs? A soft blanket moved against her skin. She cracked one open to see a thick white blanket covering her. This was not her lair. This was not her chair.

Both eyes opened and she looked around, not actually moving, she was still mostly asleep. In the comfiest bed, she had ever been in. Before her stretched the empty main room of the airship. Oh, that was right. Sportacus had come and found her little hideaway. Then the kiss, and the…...more than upsetting talk that made her want to murder his father and former girlfriend.

Ruby sat up, rubbing away the sleep in her eyes. She was in Sportacus’s bed, didn’t quite know how she ended up there. It was a current goal to end up in his bed at some point, but with Sportacus there too. At present, he seemed to be lacking. 

Anyhow, back to the smell, it was the most important thing at the moment. Sportacus must be cooking somewhere in the ship. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and followed the scent of breakfast. The comforter wrapped firmly around her shoulders. Her thin, short silk robe wasn’t exactly appropriate breakfast attire. 

The ship was bigger than it looked from the outside. Sportacus seemed to only live in the main room but off of that branched a half dozen other rooms. Ruby hadn’t explored further than that on previous visits, she hadn’t seen a need to. But now that she could, there had to be a kitchen.

Through her exploring she found; a weight room, a game room, a lavish bathroom with a tub the size of a small swimming pool, and a dozen nearly empty rooms. He needed a decorator or something, the minimalist look was appealing, but there was such a thing as too plain.

Finally, she came to the door that was pumping out the delicious breakfast smell. Her mouth was salivating just at the thought of food. Ruby couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. The hot spring had consumed her the moment she entered it, blocking all desires for basic nutrition. The door slid open into the wall, and their stood Sportacus in all his costumed glory, frying up a sunny side egg.

“Good morning!” He greeted cheerfully. “I hope you slept well.”

“I did, but I’m not quite sure how I ended up in your bed.” Sportacus flushed and stuttered a reply.

“Well, I-I woke up a while ago, and I didn’t want to leave you sleeping on the floor, so I just-”

“It’s fine, I’m messing with you,” Ruby said with a smile. There was a counter built around the stovetop Sportacus was currently using, bar stools lined the front of it. Ruby sat down and started munching on a piece of toast that Sportacus offered her. “Are we still above the forest?”

“Yeah, didn’t want to move us in case you left things down there,” Sportacus answered.

“I did leave stuff down there,” Ruby said. “And I was hoping to get another soak in before going back to LazyTown.” The town was nice, but it was sorely lacking in a freshwater oasis. This was the closest one nearby.

Sportacus plated two sunny side up eggs, flanked by pieces of whole wheat toast, and wedges of orange slices. A healthy breakfast, that was still appetizing in Ruby’s opinion. He handed her the plate and rounded the counter to sit down at the bar stool beside her. The two ate in silence, with Sportacus stopping to ogle when Ruby ate the orange slices. His brain refused to comprehend that she was actually eating a portion of healthy food.

Ruby had considered arguing about needing to be served a more sugar-filled breakfast. Her initial desire to hide that fact that she did eat healthy on occasion had been silenced. Right now, she was going to pick her battles. After last night, she didn’t want to upset Sportacus by turning down the offered food. 

When they finished, the two left the airship and headed down into the forest. Ruby wouldn’t let Sportacus move the airship directly overtop the hot spring. It would have blocked out what little natural sunlight was breaking through the tree canopy.

“What’s it like being a water Nymph?” Sportacus asked as they neared walked closer to the spring.

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

“What does it feel like?”

“Oh,” The question threw Ruby back a bit. Not many people asked her, most didn’t know about her magic. “I can feel water.” Sportacus looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. The two had made it to the spring, and now stood perched on its edge. “I can feel it everywhere; running underground in the earth, in drainage pipes, the particles in a glass of water. I feel it all.” She glanced down at the calm water, her own reflection staring back. “I can move them at will with barely a thought.”

The water reflecting her face violently rippled, sending shockwaves throughout the pool. Just as quickly the water stilled and fell back into a calm state.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Sportacus said. Ruby was powerful, there was no denying that. Ruby grinned. “Your magic is on another level than mine.” Ruby’s grinned turned more feral as if saying  _ ‘Your kidding me right?’ _ . “I’m serious!”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m an elf, other than superior stamina and agility that’s all I’ve got.” He said. “Besides the increased lifespan, but you have that too,” Ruby smirked.

“How about a swim?” She asked, head cocking to the water.

“Now?”

“No, two years from now,” She mocked.

“I didn’t bring my swim trunks.”

“Neither did I.” Ruby reached down and started undoing the knot holding her robe in place. The blanket that she’d been using as a cover, had long been abandoned in the airship. Sportacus let out an undignified  _ epp _ and shielded his face as she fully disrobed and jumped into the spring with a loud splash.

“Ruby.” He scolded.

“What?” She asked innocently swimming around. “Come on in, the waters perfect.”

“I already said-”

“You don’t need swim trunks, enjoy an all natural swim.” She said, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“I’m not here to go skinny dipping, Ruby.” He said.

“Then what are you here for?”

Why was he here? He came here in the first place looking for Ruby, and he found her. And now, in all her mischievous grace, she was trying to get him to swim naked with her in a hot spring. She had quite a lot of gall, but he liked that about her. She demanded and expected those demands to be met. No questions asked.

“What do you say?” she asked. Her smile was still there, but it had turned into something softer, warmer. Sportacus wasn’t comfortable swimming naked. He might have been okay if he were alone, but with someone else there, it felt too…..intimate.

“It’s not very appropriate.” He answered. Ruby scoffed.

“If you go around only doing things you deem appropriate, you’re never going to have any fun.” Sportacus bristled. That wasn’t true!

“I have plenty of fun.”

“Yeah, kid fun.” She said. “Why not try your hand at some adult fun.” Ruby raised up in the water, to the point where her breasts were barely concealed. Sportacus swallowed a lump in his throat and averted his eyes.

Ruby was beautiful, he wasn’t denying that. Every aspect of her was radiant and shinned with a blinding brilliance, but this was moving to fast. She had made her intentions toward Sportacus perfectly clear the previous night. But he was still struggling to catch up. The talk with her about Charlotte had helped, and after a good night sleep, he was feeling better than he had in years. However, he wasn’t there, yet.

Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere, Ruby decided a change of tactics was in order. She could push Sportacus’s buttons without crossing a line. She swam over to Sportacus, grabbed his leg, and yanked.

Sportacus went flailing into the hot spring. Hot water met cold skin and he instinctively held his breath as he fell deeper into the spring. It went further down than he expected, but finally, he felt himself being pulled back to the surface. He broke through the water, bobbing like a cork, gasping for air. He spit water out of his mouth and paddled over to the edge, gripping tightly to it.

“Ruby!” He yelled. All he heard behind him where short, broken giggles. She seemed proud of herself. Payback seemed in order. Sportacus turned, dragging his hand along the water to throw it up into her face. Only, there was a problem with that. The water froze, right in the air. It stopped moving, floating fixed in the air between them. He just tried to spray water at a magical being who can control water. Idiot!

The water surged backward and smacked Sportacus square in the face. He rubbed away the water and watched Ruby laugh playfully. Sportacus would have tried to pick a fight if he thought there was any chance he could win. But he was on Ruby’s home turf, a fight would be suicide.

“Not a big fan of water?” She smirked, floating closer to him, but still keeping a respectable distance.

“It’s fine, I just prefer to not drown,” Sportacus answered back with a smirk of his own. He looked down at his clothes, soaked through. His hand reached up, still had his hat. Might as well get the clothes off. A hot spring visit wouldn’t be as fun if he was weighed down by soaked clothes. He had boxers, those would have to act as his swim trunks. He pulled off his hat and tossed it aside, followed by his shirt and pants. Ruby watched him strip with a satisfied smile, that dimmed a bit when the boxers didn't follow the rest of the clothes.

“Having fun?” She asked once he was finished.

“Yes,” Ruby smiled again.

“Good, follow me.” She swam to the opposite side of the spring, and Sportacus followed. Apparently, there were stone seats carved into the spring that weren’t visible above the water's surface. Where he and Ruby took up residence. Ruby swirled the water around them, keeping the water warm and fresh, continuously lapping and massaging their skin.

“This is nice,” Sportacus said.

“It is, there is never a place I find more peaceful than when surrounded by water.” She kicked out her legs until her toes peeked through the water’s surface and then dipped back down. “Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”

“Is that your quote?”

“No, Laozi, he was a Chinese philosopher.” She told him. “I studied him when I went to University.”

“You went to University?” Ruby looked at him her face screaming  _ ‘no duh!’ _ .

“As smart as I, there had better be some formal education behind it.” Her ego was even bigger than her intelligence. “I have two master's degrees.” Sportacus whistled.

“Wait…,” Sportacus said, slowing processing information he hadn’t thought of before now. “How old are you?” Ruby glanced up at the sky, her lips moving but not saying anything. She was counting.

“Seventy-three.” She said after a moment. “And you?”

“Forty-nine.” Wow, their magical blood was definitely working when it came to their aging process. Ruby was a full two decades older than him! He would have thought she was younger.

“Good thing we’re not human. I’d be a wrinkly old bag by now, and you’d be in the midst of your midlife crisis.” She laughed.

“Oh, that would be awful. I could only imagine what I’d do in a midlife crisis.” Sportacus said with a groan.

“Start eating junk food, or smoking cigarettes, or maybe you’d stop exercising and decide to live a sedentary lifestyle.” She said, listing off all the worst case scenarios that came to mind. Any of which she’d be both happy and horrified to see.

“Geez, Ruby. You don’t lose your mind, it’s just a reshuffling of priorities to get things accomplished before you die.” He told her. He’d seen a number of humans have them; It would mainly result in the purchasing of motorcycles, drugs, and extramarital affairs.

“It’d still be a sight to see.” She said. Sportacus laughed and glanced over to Ruby. Who was suddenly sitting a lot closer to him. Oh, sneaky sneaky woman. While he’d been distracted, she’d enacted a bit of trickery and scooted closer to him. Their arms were delibrity resting against each other, as were there thighs.

“Ruby” He warned. Her face softened and she smiled guiltily. 

“We aren’t doing anything.” She said. “We are just two  _ friends _ sitting together.” Sportacus didn’t miss the emphasis she placed on the word ‘friends’. Persistence. As old as she was, Ruby had the patience to wait until Sportacus figure himself out. But she could still provide him with the reminder that she was there, waiting.

It might not be now, sitting in the hot spring. But she knew one of these days, Sportacus would be hers.


	14. Chapter 14

After their soak, Ruby and Sportacus returned to the airship and flew back to LazyTown. It had been four days since Sportacus had left and as soon as the airship shadowed the town, he heard the kids yelling out excited cheers. A certain pink haired girl cheering louder than all the rest.

Sportacus escorted Ruby back to her lair and went off to visit the children. They excitedly asking where he had been, and what adventurous tale he had to tell. He made up a story about backflipping all the way to New York City and back, throwing in all the bells and whistles he could think of. By the time the sunset and the kids went home, his adventure was all they could talk about.

Sportacus slowly climbed the ladder back up to his ship. Halfway up he glanced out across the city and to the dark billboard that laid just outside the town limit. Ruby would be reading right now, she’d keep her eyes glued to the page until she fell asleep mid-sentence. He smiled and finished the rest of the climb.

The ship was quiet and still, except for a flashing yellow light. It bathed the ships cockpit console in the faint light.

“What’s the message, ship?” He asked. Someone had left him a voicemail.

“Message from: Deacon.” The ship responded. His brother? What was Deacon calling for?

“Play the message.” The ships loudspeaker cracked and faded in a mix of background noise.

_ “Uh, is this-hey Sporty, this is Deacon. Sorry to bother you, I called last night and you didn’t pick up. Just wanting to see what’s going on big brother. Call me back when you can, I’ve got big news you’re gonna want to hear.”  _

The loudspeaker shut off and the ship went silent again.

“Message finished, would you like to return call?” The ship asked.

“Yes”

 

\---------

 

Robbie was happily enjoying a morning soak in his bathtub. It may not have compared to the hot spring in any way, but it was passable for now. He’d gone to sleep early last night and actually slept in his bed. He hadn’t done that since the whole fiasco that started his and Sportacus’s friendship. He normally scoffed at the soft, plush, oversized mattress, but last night he’d remembered how comfortable Sportacus’s bed had been on the ship. So, why not sleep in his own bed for a change.

The result: his back felt amazing. He felt like a complete idiot. He knew that sleeping in the chair was awful and was ruining his posture. Physicians and his fellow intellects would shake their heads at him. The bed just felt so good, climbing out of it this morning had been a struggle. How had he not known!

“Ruby! Robbie!” Oh no-here comes trouble. Robbie pulled himself out of the tub grumbling and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked out of the bathroom to find Sportacus perched on the armrest of his orange chair.

“Sportaflop, you’re here early,” He said, walking over to his bedroom. The kids were usually the priority this early in the day. Robbie walked into his room and started searching for clothes. He didn’t bother to close the door, so he knows Sportacus got an eye full of his backside when the towel ‘accidently’ fell away.

“Robbie!” He pulled on a pair of purple shorts and a white t-shirt and walked into the main room.

“Don’t be such a prude,” Robbie said, taking up the empty seat in his orange chair. Sportacus staying in his lovely spot on the armrest. “So, what are you here for so early?”

“Oh, I spoke with my brother last night.” Robbie raised and eyebrow. The half-brother who was the son of the woman who broke Sportacus’s heart- that brother? Sportacus seemed to be controlling his facial expressions, something was troubling him.

“What did he have to say?”

“That I need to travel overseas,” Sportacus said.

“What! Why?” Robbie asked. What could make him have to leave? Where would he be leaving too? His home country possibly. Robbie knew that most elves originated from Europe, and Sportacus obviously held a European accent, but he’d never specified which country he arose from. That was the most plausible place for him to travel to, unless he’d taken up a sudden love of Asian culture over the weekend. 

“He didn’t go into full detail, only that the Council of Elves was being called into session, and I was needed,” Sportacus said.

The Council of Elves. Robbie had heard of them, all magical beings had. They were the highest of the high, they presided over all. They had the power to decree laws, to absolve criminals, to execute whatever justice they saw fit, without reprimand or reproach. In essence, they were a dictatorship that should have died with the dark ages. Thankfully though, they were drawing further into disuse with every turn of the globe. This was historic, a formal gathering of the council hadn’t been called in over two hundred years.

The council itself consisted of ten elves from various ancient families. Once held as kings and Queens, now only regarded by the great lands and titles their families  _ once _ held. That didn’t make them any less conceited and snobby, though. Ruby had the displeasure of meeting one of those so-called high elves a number of years ago. In Ruby and Robbie’s opinion, there was only one decent elf in the world, and he sat beside them. Speaking of, what did the Council have to do with Sportacus.

“Why do  _ you _ have to go?” Robbie asked.

“Because,” Sportacus took a deflated breath. “I’m the head of one of the ten families.”

“What!” Robbie sat straight up, violently rocking his chair forward, and nearly knocking Sportacus to the ground. He grabbed the back of the elves shirt to keep him seated on the armrest. Sportacus turned to face a dumbfounded Robbie. “What do you mean you’re one of the heads?” He asked slowly, calmly.

“I belong to one of the families of old, their blood runs in my veins. Through my father’s family, he made me his successor at my birth, and never changed it.” He said. “Even after everything.”

“Which family?” Robbie asked uncertainly. He knew them all, grew up hearing about them. He learned all of their names in school, it was a requirement. But, one family he knew better than the rest. An elf who destroyed his life and cost him any type of respectable future. Sportacus eyed him for a moment before answering. 

“ Íþróttaálfurinn.”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” The name rolled into Robbie’s brain and stuck there like a tumor. He knew that name. Despised that name. Of the ten surnames Sportacus could have listed, that was the one he prayed to not hear. Shit!

“Robbie?” he asked. What had made his friend suddenly so upset.

“What was your father’s name?” He asked, voice thick with a hardly controlled rage. Sportacus was taken back, why would he want to know that? What did his father have to do with this?

“ Ólafur.”

Robbie sucked in a breath and shook his head. The name was razor blades running along his wrists. An echo of days he’d prefer remain lost to time.

“I’ve met your father.”

“You have?” Sportacus said, wondering where the two of them could have crossed paths. His father had never set foot in LazyTown. It had to have been before Robbie settled here.

“He was a professor of Medicine at Galdur University.” Sportacus nodded, that was when he had been a child. His father had ended his teaching there after a few years, he’d claimed the hours weren't to his liking, and disliked the amount of time it took him away from his family. “My roommate was a student of his, she was fucking him to get good grades.”

“And yet another piece of information to prove my father was a sickening leech,” Sportacus growled. He wished he was more surprised, but as he aged he realized just how little his father had loved his mother, or regarded their marriage. What kind of a disgusting man does that to his wife.

“I was majoring in theater back then,” Robbie told him. “I loved the program, the people. They were a family I had lived without for so long.” Robbie walked to his room and returned with a worn red leather album. He passed it to Sportacus, and sat back in the chair. 

“Wow,” The album spanned from the mid-1940s to the 1970s. Photos of both Robbie and Ruby dotted its inside. The photos were black and white, shifting to shades of brown in the later ones. Robbie wore his hair long and Ruby’s was short, cropped into a neat pixie cut. In many of the photos they were surrounded by dozens of other people, at parties or rallies, studying in libraries or marking notes in classes.

Robbie’s hand slid into view and flipped to a specific page. One that held a photo of Ruby in the arms of an unnamed man, and Sportacus’s father with his arms wrapped around the frame of a blonde haired lithe woman.

“He was always sneaking into our dorm, he couldn’t very well take her to his home,” Robbie said. “I have always been careful with my appearance, especially back then. People today have a hard time accepting, but back then it was suicide to be an anomaly.”

“What did my father do?” Sportacus asked.

“My roommate didn’t care about my gender swapping, she was all for embracing differences.” It took Robbie three roommates before he found an accepting one. “But when your father found me out, he called me a freak, an abomination of nature.” Robbie hissed. “He wanted me off of that campus, so I could stop polluting that proud, sacred school with my kind. However, that wasn’t something they could kick me out for. Sure they could make my life difficult, but it wasn’t a legal grounds for expulsion.”

Sportacus was afraid to hear what Robbie was going to tell him. He knew what his father was capable of, and this story couldn’t possibly end well for Robbie.

“He framed me for cheating, got me expelled on the verge of finishing school. They looked back at all my work, called me a con artist, and stripped me of my awards, my honors, and my diplomas. He destroyed  _ everything _ I had spent years working for.” The rage still raced through his veins thinking about it. Now knowing the same man who’d ruined his life, had also ruined Sportacus’s, he’d half a mind to dabble in some Necromancy and bring the bastard back to life. Just to give him a nice, slow, painful death.

“You came to LazyTown after that?”

“Yeah,” Robbie said. “My reputation preceded me, and I was all but barred from practicing in my own fields. My Masters in Mechanical Engineering, my Master of Science and Technology, and my unfinished Masters in Theater, all useless.” Robbie rested his head in his hands.

“Two people wronged by the same spiteful man.”

“My friends and colleagues dropped me like I was poison. It was shameful to even associate with me.” Robbie still remembered returning to his dorm after it was all said and done. His roommate had known the truth, she had understood. The other’s hadn’t, they ripped through his room, destroyed his belongings, and written  _ ‘fraud’ _ across the wall.

He’d packed what little they hadn’t completely destroyed in his suitcase, and walked down the hall. They’d stood in their open doorways, heckling as he walked outside. He’d returned to the circus briefly after that, until their troupe had passed through LazyTown. The small, seemingly insignificant town had caught his eye, and he’d decided to stay.

“At least one good thing came out of all your father’s shit,” Robbie said.

“Oh, and what’s that?” Sportacus asked.

“You and I.” He said. “Without his interference, our lives may have never intersected.” Sportacus smiled.

“I wouldn’t have made the best friend I’ve ever head, if he hadn’t.” Robbie blushed. Sportacus thought of him as his best friend, the joy it gave him ran down to his toes.

“Yeah, you’re pretty okay too,” Robbie said, trying to retain some of his composure, and not seem to overly sappy about how happy Sportacus made him. “So, you’re going to the Council of Elves meeting?” He asked, steering the conversation back to where it had started.

“I have to,” Sportacus said. “You can’t ignore a summons, I’m the head of my family.”

Robbie’s heart panged at the thought of Sportacus leaving. Who knew how long he’d be gone. Gatherings of the high families could last years. He and Sportacus had only just become friends, he wasn’t willing to let him go so quickly.

“I bet those council meetings are a real bore,” Robbie said. “Sitting in chairs for  _ hours _ on end, without break.” Sportacus’s fingers twitched at the thought. He couldn’t even sit still to read, he had to multitask with some form of exercise. “It might make it easier, to say, bring someone along with you.”

It took Sportacus a full five seconds to catch on. But as soon as he did, his face split into a wide grin.

“You want to come with me?” He asked.

“I’m not opposed to it.”

“That would be awesome!” Sportacus said, launching off the chair. Then seemed to realize his overenthusiasm. “I mean, if you want to.” He said, more nonchalantly.

“Then it’s settled,” Robbie said. “We’re going to an elf gathering.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a happy holidays' everyone! As a special Christmas present, I'll be posting two chapters tomorrow. Keep an eye out for them!

Three days later the duo stood beside the lowered ladder of the airship, with a crowd of onlookers around them. LazyTown was throwing them a ‘come back soon’ party. The children were all near tears, not wanting their hero to leave for any length of time. Stephanie ran up to Robbie and Sportacus and wrapped her little arms around each of their waists in a tight hug.

“Don’t get lost, we expect you both back.” She said with a teary smile.  They grabbed hold of the ladder and it pulled them upward toward the airship. 

“Goodbye!” The children yelled loudly. “We’ll miss you!” Their voices carried on the wind until they were inside the ship and the doors closed, blocking out their shouts. Sportacus made his way to the cockpit, shoulders slumped. He felt guilty for leaving the children behind, but they’d be just fine without him!

He strapped himself into the pilot’s seat. Safety first! Then steered the ship away from the town and east toward Europe. They had a long flight ahead of them. The sky was clear and the sun was rising higher, an unrestricted air voyage. He loved flying.

 

\-------

 

Sportacus had set Robbie up in one of the spare rooms, while he maintained his normal bed in the main room. Robbie’s room had a bed, flanked by nightstands on either side, and a dresser with a vanity mirror hanging above it. The walls were grey, only interrupted by seams and rivets. He’d had worse.

The addition of books and little pieces of home he brought helped to make the room feel less drape. But there was only so much he could do. If they stopped at any small towns along there way, Robbie planned to buy many little knick knacks and trinkets. With the goal of stashing them all over the ship, in an effort to thoroughly confuse Sportacus.

Robbie took off his pendant and slipped into Ruby. He hadn’t been her in days, not since his return from the spring, he’d been horribly neglecting her. That just wouldn’t do. Ruby slipped off Robbie’s baggy clothes and put on black leggings and a white crop top that hung loosely off her shoulders.

Now, what was Sportacus up to?

Ruby left her room and headed into the main room. Sportacus was on the floor, doing push-ups over a book. How could he read like that? Didn’t the constant movement disrupt the shape of the letters? Well, he was an elf, they were known to have superior sight.

“How’s the book?” She asked. Sportacus turned to look at her, but didn’t pause his workout.

“It’s good.” His accent was unusually thick.

“Is the ship on autopilot?”

“Yes, it’ll take us all the way to London before I have to start manually piloting again.” He told her. Ruby nodded and looked around for more books. She spied a few on a shelf and carelessly plucked one, sending the others into a chain of falling dominoes. She laid down on her back next to Sportacus and started to read.

If this was how the whole trip would go, it wouldn’t be too bad.

 

\--------

 

It was about halfway over the Atlantic that Sportacus halted the ship. It was nearing 8:08 and he wasn’t comfortable letting the ship fly while he slept. So, there the journey froze.

Sportacus changed into his pajamas and headed off to bed. Normally, he’d have just worn his boxers, but with Ruby nearby, he went for the whole pajama set. While she chose an oversized sleeping shirt, and nothing else. The two said their goodnights and went to there separate bedrooms.

Sportacus slept as soon as the clock rolled to 8:08. Ruby didn’t have the same luck.

“What the hell is going on!” She growled angrily. It was almost midnight, and she couldn’t sleep. She’s spent the better of the last three hours frustrated and rolling around in her bed, tousling the sheets. “I’m a damn water nymph, sleeping over an open body of water. What the fuck!” She was loud, but not enough to wake the elf. Maybe she was too far up in the air to feel the effects of the water? It was far-fetched but the only logical conclusion her sleep-deprived brain could reach.

“Ehh!” She kicked off the blankets and stood up. Sleeping was a lost cause. She trudged to the kitchen, ready for a late night pick me up. Maybe she’ll be tired after some food. Or it would make it worse. At this point she was willing to try anything. Maybe she’d get lucky and there was a hidden stash of alcohol in the kitchen. 

An hour later she’d found herself lounging across the countertop of the kitchen a half-eaten apple discarded (she was that desperate, there wasn’t an unhealthy snack to be found), and an empty glass of milk in the sink. Why was this so difficult?

Well if she had to be miserable, Sportacus could be too. Ruby crept through the ship and into the main room. Sportacus slept in his bed, blissfully unaware that his sleep was about to be interrupted.

“This is gonna be fun,” Ruby said, a mischievous plan forming in her mind. She crouched down next to the bed, staring directly at Sportacus’s closed eyes. “Sportacus” She called, her voice light and airy. “Sportacus” A little louder this time. He didn’t move. “Sportacus!” His eyes snapped open and he flailed backward off the bed, landing on the floor with a loud, thunk!

“Ahhh, Ruby, why?” He whined. 

“I couldn’t sleep.” Sportacus grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled himself up.

He groaned, glancing at the clock. “It’s one in the morning.” 

“I know”

“Why did you wake me up?”

“Because, I couldn’t sleep.”

“What does that have to do with waking me up?” Sportacus asked.

“Now I have someone with me to be cranky and awake.” She said, her voice showing her obvious annoyance at her body's inability to sleep.

“No, I’m going back to bed,” Sportacus said, crawling back into his bed and pulling the covers up over his head. “Go be awake by yourself.” He said, voice muffled through the comforter.

“Nope.” Ruby sat down on the bed, actually on top of Sportacus’s leg. He groaned and shook her off.

“You’re the devil.” His head poked out from beneath the bedding. “What am I supposed to do?” he asked.

“Nothing, just be awake with me.” She said.

“Do you have trouble sleeping a lot?”

“Not really, I usually work myself to the point of exhaustion on some project.” She said. “But I tried to go to bed at a reasonable time, and my body does not like.” 8:08 is far too early for any normal person to go to sleep.

“What will make you go to sleep?” He asked. “There must be a way to trick yourself into being tired.” There was. A grin spread on Ruby’s face. She knew the best way to fall asleep.

“I fall asleep quite easily, if” She said, holding for a nice, dramatic pause. “I have a warm body next to me.” It took Sportacus’s sleep muddled brain a second to catch on, and then his mouth fell open in a silent ‘oh’.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Sportacus said, clearing his throat, and failing at trying to not look completely awkward.

“It’s just to help me sleep.” Ruby pleaded. “I haven’t slept all night, and it’s unhealthy to not get enough sleep.” She was tempting his ‘bring health to all’ side, and maybe it was his mushy sleep brain that said his next words, because he obviously wasn’t conscious enough yet.

“Alright fine.” Sportacus lifted the blanket, and offered up the space next to him. Ruby almost squealed, but she was more dignified than that. She slid into the empty spot. Her back pressing firmly against Sportacus’s front. They didn’t have a choice on sleeping apart, his bed was twin sized. Sportacus wasn’t accustomed to sharing a bed, he only needed one big enough for himself.

Ruby settled comfortably into the bed, but Sportacus laid stiffly beside her. He hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since…….it didn’t matter, it had been a long time. The minutes ticked by and soon he heard Ruby’s breathing even out and she leaned back limply against Sportacus.

Sportacus thought back to a few months ago, when he and Robbie had been on a path of mutually assured destruction. Had it really only been months? It felt like years had passed by. When you live longer than all the people around you, time speeds by faster than a bullet. They age, you don’t. On and on goes the cycle. But then something comes along that slows the clock, making each second more precious than the last.

He looked down at Ruby’s sleeping face. They needed to talk more about their evolving relationship. Good thing they were alone on an airship. Tomorrow was another day full of possibilities.


	16. Chapter 16

“Alert! Malfunction in ship balance protocols.”

Sportacus and Ruby were jolted awake as the ship jerked violently to the side.

“Ah!” Ruby fell from the bed as the ship turned, hurtling downward her back smacked into the wall. Sportacus landed loudly beside her. What was going on!

“Ship, report!” Sportacus yelled. He struggled to his feet, pulling Ruby up with him. The ship had tilted completely to its side, leaving them both standing on the walls of the ship. This was not how Ruby had envisioned her morning, being catapulted out of bed and thrown into a wall.

“A malfunction has formed in the-a malfunction has formed in the-a malfunction has formed in the-” The ship repeated itself continuously on a broken loop.

“What’s happening?” Ruby asked.

“I don’t know.” Sportacus tried to climb up the floors, but the surface was too sleek. He couldn’t find purchase to properly climb. “I need to get up to the cockpit.” Sportacus moved to the edge of the wall, to try and climb the shelves as a ladder, but that wasn't going to work. The ship turned again, fully inverting itself, and throwing Sportacus and Ruby to the ceiling. Luckily this time they caught themselves, avoiding the previous smack.

“Go, quick!” Ruby yelled. Sportacus ran across the ceiling and over to the cockpit, hoisting himself up and into the upside-down seat. The control panel was flashing wildly, every alert system, backup system, everything was going haywire. Sportacus couldn’t make sense of any of it. He’d never seen the ship do this!

He pressed one of the flashing buttons, it was the bed control. Sportacus turned around and watched in horror as the bed popped back into the wall, but every hidden compartment in the room snapped open. Sports balls came loose, and sports candy went flying. Ruby avoided most of it, but was slapped across the face by a wiffle ball. She went down hard, but quickly pulled herself back to her feet. Ruby ran toward Sportacus, trying to get to the cockpit. 

The ship jerked again, rising up into the air and sending everything flying to the rear of the ship. Including Ruby! Sportacus grabbed the steering wheel, and tried to control the ship, but it was jammed. It wouldn’t budge!

“Ruby!” He yelled. She grabbed hold of the air release valve that had popped up when the compartments had opened. She dangled from it for dear life as the ship shot upwards. “Hang on!”

“Oh, trust me, I am!” She called back.

“Alert! Ship reaching maximum safe altitude.” The ship monotoned. The endless loop finally breaking, only to bring worse news. They had to bring the airship down, the ship wouldn’t be able to survive in the atmosphere this high up. The ship rocked and Sportacus fell forward, hands grazing along buttons by mistake.

He turned around and watched the floor hatch open up only a few feet below Ruby. She tried to pull herself up higher on the valve, but the valve wasn’t strong enough to hold her weight. The metal bent, and then snapped. Ruby fell down toward the hatch.

“Sportacus!” She yelled, hands grabbing the edge of the hatch. Her entire body was dangling out of the ship, with only the lip of the ship's hatch keeping her in.

“Ruby!” He yelled, he unfastened his safety straps. He was going to rescue her, but just as he freed himself, Ruby’s grip gave out.

The rest of her fell through the floor hatch and out of the ship. She screamed, but Sportacus only heard the sound for a few moments before the velocity of Ruby’s fall took her out of his earshot. She was free falling from miles in the air

Sportacus turned back to the ship’s console, adrenaline pumping high, he had to save her! Jumping out after her would be suicide. He needed to detach the cockpit from the rest of the ship, maybe then he could fly down fast enough to catch her. The lever beside his chair detached the front pod. He yanked on it, but it wouldn’t move! He stood up, bracing against the console so he wouldn’t fly backward and kicked the lever with all his strength. The lever flew up and the cockpit jutted forward and out of the ship. Success!

“I’m coming, Ruby!” Sportacus jumped back into the seat. He steered downward and it complied. Whatever problem had caused the chaos in the first place, it was originating from the main ship. He steered his pedal-powered ship as fast as elfly possible and caught sight of a bright purple dot in the distance. Ruby!

She was falling faster than he could peddle. He couldn’t lose her! Sportacus peddled faster, the muscles in his legs burning from the strain. He needed more time! The distance between Ruby and the blue ocean rapidly closed. 

He wasn’t going to make it.

Just as the thought came into his mind, Ruby hit the water. She careened into the ocean at over two hundred miles an hour. Sportacus flew down to the water's surface, the bottom of his ship caressing the water beneath. He stood up and looked around wildly.

“Ruby!” He yelled. This is where she landed, but there wasn’t a trace of her. The water was too deep and dark, he couldn’t see more than a few feet down. “Ruby!” He screamed desperately. There had to be a chance she was alive, she was a water Nymph. This was her element.  _ ‘Please let her be alive’ _ he prayed. He didn’t know who he prayed to, he just needed to know she was alive. “Ruby!”

Luck wouldn’t help him find Ruby if he jumped in. The ocean was too big for him to search on his own. He’d drown before he ever found her.

“Ruby!” This time, his scream was heard.

From the water shot a rocket of seawater, and inside he could make out a female form with purple hair. The excess water fell away, and there stood ruby on top of a jet of water. Hair tangled with seaweed, and eyes glowing a turquoise blue.

Sportacus reached out a hand and pulled Ruby from the water jet and into the cramped aircraft. Her eyes continued to glow, unflinching. She didn’t acknowledge Sportacus.

“Ruby?” He asked, hands coming up to cup her face. “Can you hear me?” The glow in her eyes flickered, and went out like a light, leaving the eyes he knew so well. She opened her mouth to speak and a pool of seawater fell out. She coughed and out came a few more glasses of water.

“Sportacus?” She said, voice raw and raspy. Panic filled her eyes, she didn’t seem to know what was happening. 

“It’s alright, I’ve got you.” His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. “You’re safe.” His hand came up and stroked her hair lightly.

“I fell,” She said. Sportacus nodded.

“You did, and I wasn’t fast enough to catch you,” He said. If the ship had malfunctioned over a desert instead of the ocean…..Sportacus couldn’t bear the thought. Ruby wouldn’t have been able to use her powers of water to save herself. The force of the fall…..would have crushed her. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Ruby said, trying to reassure him, but the broken state of her voice was giving the opposite effect.

“But I do worry,” Sportacus whispered. He cared so much about her, and he had been so close to watching her die. Sportacus pulled back away, but still held his arms around her. She was so beautiful and perfect. Robbie was the same, so beautiful and perfect. He couldn’t lose them. He watched Ruby’s eyes study him as he leaned in close and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was simple, just a brushing of lips, and Sportacus was pulling away.

“Sportacus” Ruby smiled meekly. She closed the gap between them again, bringing him into a firmer kiss. He was sweaty and she could taste it on his lips, while all he tasted was sea water. Ruby’s hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him even closer. She pulled on him desperately, really they both did. Near death experiences seemed to put life into perspective.

The kisses never grew deeper, but they both understood how much it meant to both of them. They held onto each other until Sportacus could feel the sun burning his face.

“We need to get to dry land,” Sportacus said. He looked down at the one person peddle aircraft. “This isn’t going to be a comfortable journey.” He sat down into the seat and Ruby sat down in between his legs, holding them to her knees so Sportacus still had access to the pedals. “We’re fifteen hundred miles from shore. The airship has completely vanished, the navigation on this craft can’t detect it at all. It must have gone down somewhere in the ocean after I disengage the cockpit.” This was going to be a long journey, at least he wasn’t alone in it. At this point, his companion started giggling.

“Sorry,” She said. “But, we are both messes.” Sportacus looked down. The two were both still in their pajamas, Rubies were soaking wet, and the entire front of Sportacus’s clothes were wet from holding Ruby.

“That’s alright, as long as we’re alive-nothing else really matters.”


	17. Chapter 17

About ten hours later Sportacus and Ruby landed on the beaches of Portugal. Their destination was London, but Sportacus couldn’t peddle anymore. He crawled from the aircraft and stretched out on the beach. The sun was setting, it had taken them the whole day to reach shore.

Every muscle in Sportacus’s legs burned and ached, he never felt so terrible. He doubted he could stand if he tried. Ruby laid down beside him and curled up against his side.

“We made it.” She said.

“That we did. Let’s live on the beach, and never move again.” He said. He lifted up his leg and bent it at the knee, satisfied by the sound of several joints popping. “We can lay here until are bodies wrinkle and crumbled, and they could bury us right in this spot.” He couldn’t even open his eyes anymore, the exhaustion had whipped out every ounce of energy.

“Sounds good.”

 

\-------

 

In the morning, Ruby took pity on Sportacus. It was well past his normal waking time, but she couldn't bring herself to wake him. He’d done so much, he needed to sleep. She found a stick and carved a note into the sand. 

 

_ Gone to look for a town, didn’t want to wake you. _

_ You look so cute when you sleep. _

 

_ -RR _

 

Beyond the beach was a forest filled with towering oak trees, and further still she found a road. Where there was a road, eventually a town would follow. She headed left down the road and kept her eyes out for cars. A disheveled girl in a nightgown, walking alone on the street. If she didn’t find a town, someone would definitely find her.    
  


\-------

 

Sportacus groaned and opened his eyes, seeing nothing but blurry sand. He sat up and winced. His legs felt worse than they had before. Now the burning was gone, they just felt rock hard. An aborted attempt at standing left him sprawled in the sand. He glanced around and noticed a young woman with vibrant hair was missing. That was when he saw the sand note. Sportacus sighed and laid back down into the sands waiting embrace.

Was it already midday? The sun was soaring high in the sky. He hadn’t slept this late into the day since he was a teenager. Hopefully, Ruby would be back soon. Maybe with food, and fresh water. Sportacus’s mouth was salivating, he hadn’t eaten in over a day. That was so unhealthy.

He glanced behind him and saw the edge of the woods. He might not be able to stand, but he was pretty sure he could crawl to the trees, and get out from underneath the blazing sun. He turned onto his stomach and army crawled toward the tree line. Very thankful that no one was around to witness the pitiful shuffling. But it was worth it when he finally made it under the shade of the trees.

Sportacus sat there and waited for Ruby to return. Taking the time to use his magic in an attempt to heal his aching legs. The stiffness dulled, and he was almost able to stand. It was better than nothing, his legs would have to finish healing the normal way.

After two more hours, he heard the revving of an engine. He wasn’t alone. Sportacus used the tree he was leaning against to pull himself to his feet. Far down on the beach, he watched as a cloud of sand flew up into the air, steadily coming closer. When it neared he realized the cause.

Ruby was driving toward him in what looked like a cross between a dune buggy and a pickup truck. She was heading to the spot where they’d landed their aircraft. The car came to a stop and the flying sand fell back to the ground.

“Ruby, over here!” Her head spun in the car to the voice. He saw her smile and drive the car over to him. She parked in front of the trees and hopped out.

“Look who’s up and about, thought you’d sleep all day long.” She said. Smug about the fact that she was awake before the sportself. “I found us a ride.”

“Where did you get it?” He asked. They hadn’t had any money on them. How could she have afforded to buy a-. “You stole it, didn’t you?”

“What! Me?” She said, feigning innocence. “I would never.” The toothy grin she wore told another story.

“Ruby.” He warned.

“They’ll get it back.” She said. “We don’t have many options at the moment. We’re broke, we’re tired, and we’re in a foreign country.”

“But stealing?” He said. She had a point, but the boy scout part of him was screaming.

“I’ll return it, with interest.” She promised. “But right now, we need to get to London. Let’s go.” Ruby walked to Sportacus, put his arm around her shoulder and her arm round his back. They hobbled to the car together and Ruby helped him into the passenger seat. Ruby got into the driver's seat and drove the car back toward where she came. There was a road further down that lead directly to the beach, so folks could easily get their boats into the sea.

They had a long drive ahead of them, but Sportacus was thankful there wouldn’t be anymore peddling. Ruby found a map and plotted their course. They were at the westernmost part of Portugal. They’d have to drive up through Spain and through France, and catch a train through the channel tunnel to get to the United Kingdom.

 

\--------

 

They were eight hours into the drive before they took their first break. The border of Spain was behind and they were well into the country at this point. When Sportacus wasn’t looking Ruby had detoured them through Paris.

Ruby parked the car in a structure and excited pulling Sportacus up the path into the Louvre. Its glass pyramid shined beautiful despite the overcast sky above.

“Come on. I can’t wait to see the  _ Mona Lisa _ . The last time I was here it was off display the year vandals threw acid at it.” Ruby told him. “I’ve waited decades for this.”

They went in and Ruby lead without pause to the painting she desired.

“It’s smaller than I imagined,” she commented. Sportacus nodded in agreement. She held up a finger. “But, it is a magnificent piece of art. I’m glad I finally get to see it.” She turned to Sportacus with a wicked grin. “Now, onto the Greek and Roman art.”

Ruby had a lot to say about the Romans, more than Sportacus could have imagined. He’d heard her opinion before on the Greek god Hades, but that didn’t compare to how she ripped into the Romans. The words ‘cultural appropriation’ were thrown in often. Along with their lack of creativity with making their own gods and instead stealing them entirely from another culture and renaming them. Sportacus felt like he was getting whiplash.

They roamed through the exhibits until the museum staff announced it was closing time. It was dusk by the time they returned to the car.

“That was fun,” Ruby said as they got reseated.

“I wish you’d told me we were detouring here,” Sportacus said.

“It’s a twenty-one-hour drive, what was a few hours going to add to it.” There was plenty more in the city Ruby wanted to see, but it would have to wait for another day. She could feel the pull of the Almudena Cathedral, the Temple of Debod, the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Plaza de Oriente. To turn the car away from the magnificent city was agonizing torture. 

They set off again, heading toward London. Only a few hours went by of clear, peaceful night time traffic before Ruby yawned and pulled the car off the road. They didn’t bother with a hotel. Opting to recline their seats and sleep in the car, they didn’t have the money for a hotel in any case.

“Any regrets on bringing me?” Ruby asked as they settled in for the night.

“No. Why would I?”

“I hoped you wouldn’t, but you can never be too sure about anything,” Ruby said. After a moment she raised up on her elbow to look at Sportacus over the center console. 

“This wouldn’t have been half as wild without you by my side,” Sportacus said smiling. They looked up at the night sky above them, through the car's sunroof. Stars twinkled high above alongside the flashing lights of airplanes. 

“Can I do something?” Ruby asked.

“Depends on what it is,” Ruby smirked, and pulled on her pendant chain. The blue glow it had been lacking flared to life and there sat Sportacus, with Robbie beside him. It had been a few days since he’d last seen him, not since they’d said their farewells in LazyTown.

“Do you trust me?” Robbie asked tentatively.

“Always,” Sportacus answered without thought. Robbie smiled fondly, and sat up in his chair. He leaned over the console and placed a gentle kiss on Sportacus’s lips. The same as the previous few, firm, but controlled. Nothing overwhelming. He pulled away after a few seconds, smiling at the dopey look he found on Sportacus’s face. So the elf enjoyed kisses, that was the kind of information he needed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've been wondering about that explicit-sexual-content tag, all your desires will be fulfilled in chapters 19 and 24.

The trip was boring after that. Sneaking across country borders was exciting and all, but their magic was making it pretty easy. All you needed to do was roll up, hand a guard a blank slip of paper, and make their mind believe its a valid passport. Simple and quick. A trick Robbie had picked up during his years abroad. It made Sportacus a bit concerned with the ease Robbie was able to do.

“Villainous ways die hard,” Sportacus commented. 

“Once you go to the dark side, you never come back,” Robbie snickered. “It gives you a taste of true fun.”

“You are ridiculous.”

“Yeah, yeah. Do we have time for sightseeing?”

“Not right now, I need to get to the gathering,” Sportacus said. He could already hear the other elves chastising him for his tardiness. You’d think beings who in many cases are hundreds to thousands of years old, would hold more patience. They were a self-righteous overbearing group that Sportacus wasn’t looking forward to spending time with.

The majority of them he hadn’t seen in years, not since before he left home. In the years when he and his father had still been on speaking terms, when they’d attend balls and parties together. When they’d converse and dine with other elves. Sportacus had been introduced to the high elves when he was younger-they probably wouldn’t even recognize him now.

Once they made it to the channel tunnel in France they were forced to abandon the stolen car. It was quicker to get to London this way over the ferries. They abandoned the car in a parking lot not far from the train terminal. The police would find it and return it back to its proper owner. Robbie made sure to copy the name of the owner from the registration in the glove box. If said owner conveniently found a few extra hundred dollars in his bank account the next week, then who would guess where the generous donation came from.  Robbie turned his back and wiped his hands clean of the ‘borrowed’ car. However, Sportacus was still riding on a wave of guilt.

They boarded the train after a sneaky walk through the passport check line, and rode the train underneath the English Channel. Three hours later they were stood in the sunlight of beautiful England. They hailed a cab and took up residence in its back seat. 

“You can find a hotel to stay at. I’m going to St. James’s Park, feel free to site see while I’m there,” Sportacus said.

“What’s in St. James Park?”

“The entrance to a secret Elven palace.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, it’s underneath the park.” Hopefully, he’d be able to find the entrance. The only time he’d ever visited was decades earlier. Days were spent exploring the massive palace underneath, Sportacus even managed to find the hidden passageways that lead into Buckingham Palace. 

They left the cab together and walked to the park entrance before parting ways. Robbie could see the lake that was nestled in the middle of the park. His heart begged for him to go forward and bathe in the beautiful lake but he controlled himself and said ‘see you soon’ to Sportacus.

Now Robbie was on a mission to find lodging. He’d found loose change in the car, which meant he could call his bank, which meant he could wire some money to himself, which meant he wouldn’t have to sleep in a car tonight or a gutter. Hooray! Nice comfy hotel chair, and some room service. In London! What could be better?

 

\-------

 

Sportacus walked along the park’s winding paths. It was odd being here, like walking a distant fraying memory. The entrance was a ring of flowers, he knew, but which ones? It was spring and there were freshly blooming flowers across the park. It was in the part of the park furthest away from Buckingham Palace, he remembered that much. But was the flower ring red or blue?

This would be easier if his fifteen-year-old self had paid attention the first time he visited. But  _ nooooo _ he had to ogle the pretty human girls. It took him a half hour to find the correct flower bed. Red flowers in a circle, surrounded by blue flowers. People were swarming the area taking photos and enjoying the picturesque natural beauty the park offered.

This would require stealth and cunning. Neither of which was a characteristic of Sportacus, those were Robbie’s forte. This was bound to crash and burn, and Sportacus would look back onto it for years to come and his face would always burn in embarrassment. He had embarrassing moments from his teen years that were still haunting him. At least he had his magic to help.

The flowers rested a few feet from a path, with a bench directly across from it. On either side of the bench were two large trees, their branches reaching high up. There was an elderly woman sitting at the bench reading a newspaper. Sportacus looked up at the tree and shook his head. He’d track her down later and apologize.

“Träd flytta,” Sportacus raised his hands and watched the air around him sing and swish. He thrust his hands and the air circling him surged forward smacking into the trees. Screeching birds flew from the trees in panicked groups. People around jumped and ran from the screaming birds. The birds flew upwards smashing up into the tree leaves and branches, trapped beneath the canopy. The people scattered from the area, a younger man helping the old woman walk away from the crazed birds.

Sportacus turned back to the ring of flowers and stepped over them into the grassy middle. He crouched down and dug both of his thumbs through the grass and into the earth. He closed his eyes and whispered under his breath. “láttu mig inn”

Bright white light flashed behind his eyes, followed by the sharp sensation of falling from a great height.

 

\--------

 

Robbie hadn’t been in London in almost two decades. He loved the city, it was historic and laden with old world magic, but there was something unnerving about it. The way statues watch his every movement, the way the pavement echoed beneath his feet. It was eerie and complex, and Robbie loved every moment of it.

He’d found a branch of his bank and gotten a copy of his debit card. The feeling of hopeless poverty lifted off his shoulders. He may live in a literal hole in the ground, but it was a lavish hole. A good majority of his inventions he sold off to engineering companies, so his wallet was more than padded. Money was never an issue for him.

He checked into a hotel not far from the park. 

Robbie prowled the city until dark, eventually returning to the hotel with shopping bags filled with clothes for both him and Sportacus. The clothes he had now weren't awful, but he’d prefer something that fit his color scheme better. Now outfitted in a fresh pair of purple pajamas, he turned down the lights and headed to bed. No point in waiting up for Sportacus, he might be gone for days, maybe weeks. Those damn elves and their meetings. At least Robbie would have a bustling and exciting city to explore while he waited.

  
  


\--------

 

Sportacus opened his eyes, and stood up. He’d done it!

He stood in the middle of a large foyer, a grand marble staircase at his back, and two longs halls at his front. The Palace of the High Elves. Walls built of mahogany and oak, fashioned with magic so that it may never rot, and never age. A palace to long outlast those who built it.

“We are happy for you to join us, my Lord.” Sportacus jumped and spun around. Behind him at the foot of the staircase was a dwarf, standing no more than three and a half feet tall. He was dressed in a finely tailored suit, his beard neatly decorated with dozens of glass beads. “If you will follow me, I will show you to the others.” The dwarf walked forward down the left hallway. Sportacus quickly followed after.

They walked briskly through the palace, passing by hundreds of portraits; The elves of old. Long dead people, many relatives of Sportacus. He didn’t know any of them. Without the inscriptions beneath them, he couldn’t have told you who they might have been. Memories only last so long and these relatives were long gone in the minds of his family. Too long ago, too far away to be remembered.

Sportacus’s ears perked up, he could hear others. Arguing. Loudly by the sound of it. They were almost screaming. His elven ears were superior to humans but even this childish tantrum a human would have heard.

The hallway opened up into a courtyard. The tile beneath their feet, gave way to lush grass. Around a round table sat five elves. Two of them were stood up, yelling at each other from across the table, in some heated argument. They were speaking Sportacus’s native tongue. A rush of nostalgia washed over him, it had been too long since he’d last spoken to another in his own language.

“Sportacus!” One of the elves not involved in the argument exclaimed. The two arguers turned to see the newest arrival. Sportacus recognized the one who’d said his name. Vasha. The elf of the morning sun. Hair of yellow sunlight, eyes of crystal blue sea. A beautiful woman, who was never to be underestimated. He nodded his head to her.

“A pleasure to see you, Vasha.” He said. He circled the table and came to the one that held his family name and crest. A figure running in a grassy plain. His family was known highly for their commitment to exercise, even thousands of years ago. “As is the rest of you.” He sat down in his chair.

He tallied the elves around him, five? Where were the rest? Three unaccounted for elves.

“I thought I’d be the last to arrive,” Sportacus said. He recognized the faces around him. The two standing, at near blows with each other, were Arno and Cecile. The elves of energy and strength, respectively. Cecile was a lithe woman standing only about five foot in height, yet she could destroy any opponent. The monikers attached to elves weren’t just to make them sound impressive. Those were elements or characteristics they held a special aptitude for or control over.

“Fate is seeming to meddle in our affairs.” Another voice spoke, laden in a heavy Scottish accent. Florian, the elf of wind. He was a studied intellectual, who would hold the aforementioned intelligence over every person he met. He wore his long brown hair tied with a red ribbon, and was outfitted in white dress robes. 

“Did you run into any trouble on your travels here?” Vasha asked.

“I did, actually,” Sportacus said. Was he not the only one? “My airship malfunctioned and fell out of the sky, I narrowly escaped.” He told them, and he hadn’t been the only one to almost lose their life. The image of Ruby falling…. still played in his mind, an endless loop of what could have happened.

The group hummed collectively. Mutterings passed between them, shadowed glances and deep frowns.

“You aren’t surprised?” Sportacus said more than asked.

“More shocked that you’re alive,” Cecile said. “Attempts have been made on several of our lives in the last few days.”

“I rode the ferry across the channel,” Florian said. “A calm night it was, and then a mighty wave flew up the sea and capsized the ship. I survived by riding my winds to shore, the humans onboard weren’t as lucky.” There was no distress in his eyes for the dead. Few elves held value in the lives of humans. Sportacus was a rare breed for elves.

“I came from China,” Vasha said. “Drove here myself, but when I was passing through the Guoliang tunnel, boulders came loose and pushed my car off the road. I had the good sense to jump from the car just in time, and caught myself on the road's edge.” Vasha frowned. “I liked that car, been driving it since the seventies.”

“Screw your car!” Arno yelled. “I was attacked by a damn bear!” He growled an obscenity under his breath. “I walked here, and in the Ukraine forests of all places, a bear comes ripping through the trees and tried to claw me to pieces!”

“You killed it.” Vasha pointed out.

“It was a sneaky bear,” Arno said. “He could have killed me or eaten me.” Arno was known to over exaggerate; Sportacus had heard stories in his youth about Arno from his father. The elf was wildly eccentric, and loved to trick people with fanciful stories that couldn’t possibly be true. He was tall with yellow blonde hair, and wore black slacks and a white puffy sleeved shirt.

“Are you an elf or not?” Cecile said, frustrated by Arno. “You are no human, the bear is dead and you are alive. Shut up about the damn bear.”

“Why are you so damn calm, someone tried to kill you too!” Arno said. He obviously didn’t believe the group was concerned enough about the attempts on their lives.

“Yes, and I survived. Now we are going to handle this like civilized elves, not Neanderthals.” Arno and Florian both looked affronted by the comparison. “Someone out there is trying to assassinate us.”

“Who would want us dead?” Sportacus asked. Florian scoffed.

“Could be anyone. As old as we all are, plenty of enemies have been made.” Florian said.

The elves of today were not known for peace and tranquility as their predecessors were. Their dwindling numbers were making them more exclusive and mistrustful of outsiders, causing growing tensions between other magical races. The Giants had threatened war on the elves twice in the last century. Which reminded Sportacus of the important reason for this gathering.

“Why are we here?” Sportacus asked. The group striated, looking around quizzically at one another.

“We’re not sure,” Vasha said after a moment. “We all received the summons, but no one has owned up to sending it out.” She glanced warily at the elves around her.

“It wasn’t me,” Arno said defensively.

“Nor I,” Said Florian.

“If it was me, I’d have said something already, so we could get out of this hell hole,” Cecile said.

There was one remaining in the room, yet to say a word. The five turned as one to look at the hooded figure sitting in between Vasha and Arno. Voss, the viper. Oldest of them all, the original member of his family, who has sat in on gatherings since the true beginning. He has lived as long as the globe has turned, or so the stories say.

“What say you, Voss?” Cecile said. Voss shifted forward, elbows coming to rest on the table. His face was obscured by the hood of his black cloak, all but his pointed chin. His sleeves fell down, revealing wrinkled hands, skin so old and thin, bone was visible through the taut flesh.

“I did not send the missive,” His voice cracked, rasping out broken words. “But we must be careful.”

“What fine advise.” Arno mocked. “Just fine.” Voss’s arm lifted and swiftly struck Arno in the stomach, knocking him into his chair, and forcing him to sit.

“Remember your place, boy.” Voss’s voice scratched like a cat at a post.

“Where are the others?” Sportacus asked, pulling the group back to the matter at hand.

“They haven’t arrived. We are missing Catarina, Friso, Ondrea, and Slaine,” Cecile said. “They all received the summons, but none have arrived.”

“We fear they may not have been as lucky as we were,” Vasha said.

“You think they’re dead,” Sportacus said. Four high elves murdered, it was unprecedented. Who would dare to put targets on their heads? “What is our course of action?”

“That was what we were arguing about when you came in,” Cecile said. “Until you showed up, we were counting you among the dead.”

“I was among the delayed, but not the dead,” Sportacus said.

“They want our graves dug and our bodies piled with dirt,” Cecile said. “That will not be allowed to pass. We strike hard and fast.”

“We don’t even know who it is,” Florian said. “We were all attacked simultaneously in different regions of the world, in distinct ways. The attacker doesn't seem to have a pattern. We need more information to determine who we are to strike.” 

“So we agree to strike?” Cecile asked, excited at the prospect of a fight.

“Perhaps,” Florian answered.

“And until the others arrive, we assume that they are dead,” Arno said.

“Do you know where they’re coming from?” asked Sportacus. 

“Catarina was coming from the Philippines, the others I know not,” Florian told the group. “We can attempt to contact their families, and find out if they’ve heard word from them.” Everyone nodded in agreement. “Until then it’s best that we do not leave the palace.”

“For how long?” Sportacus asked, his mind thought of Ruby and Robbie. They were alone up in London, without a clue about what was happening. They weren’t elves of the high council, there wasn’t danger of them being killed, but Sportacus still worried.

“Until this threat is eliminated,” Said Cecile. “It is not safe for any of us.”

“I traveled with a companion,” Sportacus said. “They’re in London, do you think there is any danger directed to them?”

“Hard to say.” Cecile looked deep in thought. “If you are worried for your friend's safety, then I believe it is amendable they be allowed to stay within the palace, until such time any danger has passed.” The others nodded in agreement.

“You may send Alphonse to fetch your companion,” Florian said, gesturing back toward the hall Sportacus had come from. The dwarf, Alphonse, still stood in the entryway.

Sportacus’s worries abated. Robbie and Ruby would be safe in the palace, only the ten High Elves are allowed inside, or those allowed by the council. Whoever this would be killer was, they couldn’t get into the palace. Or, so Sportacus hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations, the language used is Swedish.
> 
> träd flytta-tree move
> 
> láttu mig inn-let me in


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only way to describe this chapter is pure, unabashed filth......and some plot. If you aren't blushing by the end of this, then I clearly need to up my writing game.
> 
> Warning: intense sexual situations

Robbie had thought the hotel was lavish. He was wrong, it was patchwork shanty. The Palace of the High Council…..his mouth watered at the sight. Mahogany, so much mahogany!

He’d nearly ripped the head off the dwarf that had awaken him from his slumber back at the hotel, and was on the verge of it throughout their travel here. But now seeing the magnificent place he was being allowed to stay in, the dwarf was thoroughly forgiven.

Such beauty, Robbie’s eyes struggled to behold it. Hand carved wood panels, hand welded metal wall sconces, bamboo flooring grouted with silver. Columns carved in the visage of elegant women, towering high up to the cathedral ceiling. And this was only his bedroom.

Robbie had caught glimpses of the rest of the palace on their walk here. He badgered the dwarf with questions on the architecture, the statues, anything he was curious about. The first few questions the dwarf seemed excited that someone was interested in the history of the palace. But after the tenth question, he just wanted Robbie to shut up. He unceremoniously pushed Robbie into his room, and shut the door behind him. Happy for the silence that followed.

“That was rude,” Robbie said to himself. Then had lost himself in the image of his room. He’d fallen into the canopy bed and gone into an architecture induced stupor. He didn’t even here Sportacus knock, or enter into the room.

“Enjoying yourself,” Sportacus asked. Robbie’s eyes moved lazily to the figure standing at his bedside. The elf looked entirely too smug.

“I love this place.” He slurred, had he gotten drunk at some point? His brain was a little foggy from beholding the opulent abode. Still, he didn’t remember taking any shots of liquor along the way. Robbie shook his head, blinking a couple of times, and the fog dissipated.

“Glad to know.” Sportacus smiled.

“What’s going on with the elves?” He asked.

“Not sure, we don’t know who called the meeting,” Sportacus told him. “But it seems we weren’t the only ones to have a near death experience. All of the elves were attacked in some way on their journey here, and some of the elves are still missing.” Robbie’s eyes widened. Who was ballsy enough-and stupid enough for that matter-to attack the High Elves.

“Any leads?”

“None so far,” Sportacus said, sitting down on the bed beside Robbie. “It was agreed that we lock ourselves safely inside the palace for now. Until this is dealt with, we need to be vigil.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open.” Robbie wasn’t expecting this trip to be so exciting. First the nearly dying, now a possible murder mystery. This was getting interesting, he knew books that had thinner plots than this.

Robbie flopped back on the mattress and stretched out. He glanced up at Sportacus who was watching him. Robbie smirked.

“Well boy scout, we have a whole room to ourselves, ” Robbie said sitting up again and scooting closer to Sportacus. His fingers hooked into the collar of Sportacus’s shirt and pulled him closer. Lips painfully close “There’s a lot of fun we could have.” The words bounced against Sportacus’s mouth, every gust of air tickling his lips.

Sitting beside Robbie, Sportacus remembered the apprehension he’d felt the last time they’d done anything intimate. A solid brick wall had built up for Sportacus, separating him from intimacy with others. But the open, trusting look on Robbie’s face melted the feeling away. All he saw was a beautiful man who knew his past, knew his problems and  _ still _ wanted to be with him.

Sportacus didn’t have words to say, instead, he closed the gap between them, firmly pressing his lips to Robbie’s. His hands wound up Robbie’s sides and Robbie’s went up into that fine golden elf hair he’d been dreaming about. Robbie pressed closer, gently biting at Sportacus's lower lip. He wanted to explore that beautiful elves mouth.

Sportacus gasped and gave Robbie the opening he’d been hoping for. Robbie’s tongue darted inside, caressing Sportacus's own. The pace was slow and meticulous. Hands fell lower, resting instead on Robbie’s hips. Sportacus had to control himself, his hands wanting to squeeze tighter, but he didn’t want to hurt Robbie. 

Robbie found himself being pressed back into the mattress. The angle changed the kisses. Hot and heady replaced the slow and almost polite ones. Hands ran across Robbie’s clothed chest, and he could feel a stirring between his legs. Sportacus moved his mouth down to Robbie’s neck, biting at the supple flesh he found there. Robbie gasped and wrapped his legs around Sportacus’s waist.

“Sportacus,” He moaned. When their hips made contact, he could feel the elves own bulge. Any doubt that Sportacus didn’t find Robbie attractive was wiped from his mind, replaced with a beautiful feeling of pleasure as he bucked up into the other man's hips. They both grabbed, gripping tightly to each other’s clothes.

“R-Robbie.” It had been such a long time since Sportacus had done this. Since he’d allowed himself pleasure in this way. He pulled back and cupped Robbie’s cheek. His lips were swollen and there were red marks on his neck where Sportacus had been biting him. His hair was tousled, and Sportacus couldn’t remember a time he’d looked more perfect.

They wanted one another badly, they didn’t need words to express it. Sportacus sat up, knees on either side off Robbie’s hips and pulled his shirt up over his head. Robbie watched as the abs Sportacus worked so hard to maintain came into view. They were almost enough to distract him from the bulge he could clearly see through Sportacus's tight cotton shorts.

Robbie leaned up and kissed Sportacus's cheek, trailing a line of wet kisses to his ear. His tongue licked gently along the shell of his ear. “Sportacus.” He groaned. “the charm makes  _ everything _ real.” He bucked his hips up again, making sure Sportacus felt his own bulge. 

Robbie fell back and ran his hands up glorious tanned abs, and then around to caress Sportacus’s back. Sportacus winced as Robbie’s hands ran over his shoulder blades. Robbie’s hands quickly retracted back to Sportacus’s chest. The scar tissue on his back still pained him. Robbie pushed away the anger bubbling in his chest, that could wait for another time. Instead, he pulled Sportacus down into another searing kiss.

Robbie’s hands slid further down, one cupping Sportacus’s shapely behind. The other snuck around and palmed the front of Sportacus’s shorts. His partner seized, breath leaving his lungs, body tensing. Robbie’s hand cupped the generous handful.

“God….Robbie.” Sportacus’s voice broke in a thick moan. “You are evil.”

“Yes, I am.” He purred. “Disrobe me, if you would,” Robbie commanded. Sportacus grinned and reached forward, ripping Robbie’s shirt over his head. Robbie’s hand never leaving its spot on his favorite elf’s trousers.

Kisses began again, and Robbie reluctantly released his hold, choosing to run his hands through that golden hair again. The kisses were rough, languid, lewd. Words Sportacus didn’t use to define himself. He’d never known kisses like this, his experiences involved gently, loving kisses. This was different, there were loving, but so much more passionate. So much more real.

Sportacus’s hands trailed down, pulling on the waistband of Robbie’s pants, sliding them down his hips. Once he caught on to Sportacus’s intention’s he went for the buttons on Sportacus’s shorts. They were  _ both _ pleasantly surprised to find a lack of underwear on their partner. Robbie glanced down and saw their cocks nudging against each other. He bit at the inside of his cheek, faintly tasting blood.

“ _ Sportacus _ ” Robbie moaned. They were both painfully hard, and Robbie was already ready to let Sportacus tear him apart. His hand wrapped around Sportacus’s cock and Sportacus wrapped his around Robbies, hands pumped in a fluid rhythm. They didn’t kiss, didn’t touch other than that. They watched each other. Longing to hear the others broken moans, to see the flush of their cheeks and the look in their eyes as they both  _ finally  _ were brought over the edge of blinding starlight.

 

\----------

 

_ Oh, fuck yes! _

Robbie woke the next morning. In that muddled “Where am I? What’s happening?” state, not remembering the previous night. Until the heavy arm resting across his chest pulled him back to the present. He and Sportacus. Robbie and Sportacus. Robbie Rotten and Sportacus. He chuckled and leaned back and into Sportacus. It was weird being spooned by someone shorter than him, but he didn’t mind.

His mind was still blown. He and Sportacus-well, they hadn’t gone all the way, but it was still a mighty leap closer. Who knew Sportacus was so voracious? Just work him up a little and the boy scout disappears, replaced by a wild sexually hungry man. Robbie wanted to purr. This was too good. Perhaps Ruby should be having some of this fun.

His hand grazed the pendant, and he felt the magic around him flow back inside the pendant.

Ruby chuckled, the hand that had rested across Robbie’s chest, was now caressing her breasts. Sportacus was a breasts man now was he? The elf might have disagreed if he were awake, but his sleeping self showed his true interests. Ruby settled her hand on top of Sportacus’s and guided his hand around her breasts. Showing them the best way to touch.

She knew Sportacus was familiar with the female body. He wouldn’t need a crash course in this, but he’d soldiered through his first experience with a man yesterday like a seasoned champion. Ruby was excited to see what he’d do with her. Was he well-mannered and courteous, or feral and kinky? His straight lace exterior could be shielding the untamed sexual beast beneath-if last night was any indication.

Going on this trip with Sportacus, she’d hoped that by the end they’d have shared a consensual kiss. A few days in and they were already running past third base, heading for a home run. Maybe slowing things down would be best, Ruby didn’t want Sportacus doing anything that he’d regret. Worst she feared moving too fast would wreck their friendship. A few hits or misses in the intimacy department she could deal with, but losing her best friend…...that was not happening.

Ruby lowered Sportacus’s hand away from her breasts, until it was resting against her waist.

“What are you doing?” The sleepy voice startled her.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Since you grabbed my hand, and had me rubbing your breasts.” Sportacus moved closer, aligning his front with her back.

“I’m a bit feisty this morning,” Ruby replied.

“Just this morning?” Ruby whipped around and playfully smacked Sportacus on the shoulder.

“A lady’s allowed to have a personality.” She smiled, happy to see Sportacus's face. His eyes were half-lidded, not completely focused. His brain was still waking up, and so was his body.

Ruby slipped a leg in between Sportacus’s and gently massaged her knee into his limp cock. Sportacus groaned and dropped his head into Ruby’s hair. Ruby applied more pressure, hands going round to grab hold of Sportacus's ass. Wait wait- wait. Wasn’t she planning on taking things slowly? Ruby shook her head, it had made a good plan a few minutes ago. But now the promise of sex was on the table. Her mind spun trying to make a decision.

Sportacus groaned again, this time sinking his teeth into Ruby’s shoulder. Ruby suppressed a moan. Her leg was still working feverishly on Sportacus’s cock. Seems her body was making the decision for her.

“Let’s do this right,” Ruby said, pushing Sportacus onto his back.

“What are you-” Ruby held a finger to Sportacus’s lips.

“Trust me, you’ll like this.” She straddled Sportacus, taking one of his hands and bringing it between her legs. “Fuck me with your fingers.” Sportacus winced at the swear, but he wasn’t about to deny her. His hand ghosted over the dark purple curls that lay between Ruby’s legs. He glanced up at Ruby towering over him. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack-jawed. She was waiting for him to start.

Sportacus gently rubbed her folds, and listen to Ruby’s soft breathy moan. He wondered ‘How long has it been for her?’. Not as long as Sportacus, but it must have been sometime. His fingers found their mark and he slid one into her slick entrance. Ruby moaned loudly, hips grounding down onto his finger that had stilled inside her.

“Keep going, please.” Her breathy plea spurred him on. His finger slipped quickly in and out. Ruby moved with him, grinding down onto his finger, and onto his cock that lay beneath them. He added a second, and Ruby whined happily. Such beautiful sounds. A third was in for only a few seconds when Ruby jerked away, pulling herself off of his fingers.

She bent over, roughly kissing Sportacus, biting his lips hard enough to draw blood. Her hands ghosted up his thighs, then she took him in hand. Stroking him a few times before settling her entrance just above his cock. They both groaned as she lowered herself. Sportacus was lengthier than she’d expected. Ruby huffed a moan as she fully seated herself upon him. Hands flew up, running along her sides and gripping her hips.

They moaned in sync as Ruby started to move. She lifted herself up and down his length, Sportacus meeting her with every thrust. They moved slowly at first. But it wasn’t enough for either of them. Sportacus grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and gracefully flipped them. His cock had flown free from Ruby’s entrance and she whimpered at the loss.

Sportacus gripped himself and plunged back inside Ruby. She cried out, hands flailing wildly until the found purchase in Sportacus’s back. Her fingernails dug deep, sure to leave marks. Ruby grabbed Sportacus’s face and pulled him into another kiss.

The thrusting, the kissing, it was overwhelming. They clung to each other and their hips met roughly in a wicked dance. Sportacus was so close, but he didn’t want to go first. His release was pooling in his loins, shouting for him to let his desire flow free. Just as he was about to give, Ruby let out a strangled scream and he felt her walls clenched around his cock. He leaned over burying his face in her hair, and screamed out his own release.

Sportacus went limp, unintentionally bearing all his weight on top of Ruby. She didn’t seem to care for the moment, too wrapped up in her own pleasure. Sportacus had forgotten how wonderful sex was. Why had he stopped doing this again? In the aftermath he almost forgot.

“Get off me you oaf.” Ruby groaned, pushing at Sportacus’s chest that was trapping her hands. He rolled off her and groaned when his cock came out of her warm body.

“Wow” Ruby barked a laugh.

“Wow? That’s your response?”

“Really, amazing-wow.” He turned his head to look at Ruby. Her purple hair was laid around her like a peacock’s feathers, she looked beautiful.

“Such a literary master you are after coitus.”

“Whatis?” He asked.

“Coitus, it means sex.” Ruby made a mental note, ‘make Sportacus read  _ The Art of Sex _ ’.

“Coitus?” Sportacus said, tasting the word on his tongue. “I’ve learned my new word of the day, thank you for expanding my mind.” He leaned over and kissed Ruby’s cheek.

“You’re welcome, not sure how often you’ll use the word coitus in casual conversation though.” Outside of bedroom activities, she hoped to never hear him say it.

“I should be getting up, I have to meet with the elves soon.” He glanced over to a grandfather clock resting on the wall, it’s pendulum swung but it was eerily silent. The days gathering would begin soon, with more elves than yesterday present, or so Sportacus hoped. 


	20. Chapter 20

Ruby laid in bed for an hour or so after Sportacus left, intending to catch up on some reading before she went exploring. Her mind wouldn’t be able to focus on the words later, not after seeing the whole of the palace. Even now her mind was wandering beyond that room, imagining what she’d see beyond the walls. Each mental image more grandiose than the last. She finally caved after little more than an hour.

She wandered out of the room, heading away from where she’d entered. She knew what laid back that way, she wanted to see what she hadn’t. Down that hall and to the right she came to a long corridor, flanked by columns of marble with shining gold volutes. They glowed from the inside like sunlight, illuminating the murals painted on the arched ceilings. Scenes of angels and fairy folk flying across the skies were depicted in bold pigments.

Farther down the hall it broke off in two halves of a grand staircase. Marble steps draped in blue rugs, wooden railing with wrought iron balusters. The wood was cool and alive beneath her fingertips, as though it had never been cut down from its forest. Cool tile met her bare feet at the bottom. The great room broke off into three distinct and identical halls.

“Eenie meenie miney-that one.” Ruby pointed at the leftmost hall and started down it. These halls were wood paneled, lined with old portraits framed in bronze. They bore the images of elves of old; many of them dead for thousands of years. Each portrait held the seal of their house embalmed at the bottom. This hall was specific, every seal marked the house of Zauber. An oak staff crossed with a sword. The house of the mystics. Currently headed by Voss Zauber. Ruby had never met him, but she knew enough of his reputation to not make him an enemy. The elves of old are not to be trifled with.

Whatever idiot was endeavoring to murder High Elves was miserably stupid. These houses had survived countless wars upon them, this wouldn’t pause them. It would sew their weakening houses closer together and they would return their attacker to the dust.

Ruby rounded a corner and found herself on the balcony of a library. Books! Her mind raced excitedly. She turned around completely to see every book. The room was a perfect circle, reaching high as a skyscraper and as long as one laid on its side. Filled with books from floor to ceiling. She’d never seen so many books in one place! This is how she imaged the library of Alexandria to look. 

“This is amazing!” She yelled, her voice echoing around the room. Someday when she died, this is what she wanted her personal heaven to look like, an endless room filled with unknown books. The shelves had too many options, she ran her fingers along the books spines waiting to feel for the right one. Ruby silently wished Sportacus and the other elves would never find their attacker, because she didn’t ever want to leave.

 

\---------

 

“This is ridiculous!” Cecile yelled. “Sitting on our hands and doing nothing will accomplish just that-nothing!” Arno groaned, he seemed to have given up his fight against her. Admitting there was no chance at changing her opinion.

“Waiting will make our attack careless,” Florian said. “They will be forced to make a move if we do nothing for long enough.”

“That’s quitter talk!”

“It is wise,” Voss said. “Have patience, young one.” Cecile’s eye twitched, had she a knife in her hand, she would have surely stabbed Voss with it.

There had been no word from any of the remaining four heads, nor from their families. Each passing minute the outcome for their fellow elves grew bleaker. Sportacus was starting to think alarmingly about the possibility of his own death.

As a near-immortal being, death is more of a concept than an eventuality. Elves need not worry about sickness, or cancers, nor dying of old age. Yet, a simple stab to the heart or a fall from a great height was enough to end their lives. Sportacus’s grandfather had died in a duel, the sword had gutted him and he’d died a painful death. He didn’t want the same.

“I agree with Cecile.” All eyes turned to Sportacus. He’d silently listened to the bickering for hours, without giving any input. Nothing was being accomplished, and if death was shadowing their futures, a new course of action had to be plotted to divert it. “If we sit here, we might end up waiting for centuries.”

“What do you propose?” Vasha asked. Her eyebrows were raised, genuinely curious to hear what Sportacus might have to offer.

“I am young, but I do have some insight,” Sportacus began, he was easily the youngest of all present. The next youngest was Arno, who still held centuries over Sportacus. Them listening to his opinion at all was due to his family's reputation more than his own. “I have never been one for cunning and devious plans, but I know someone who specializes.”

 

\--------

 

“So, you’ve got a killer on the loose,” Ruby stated, circling the elves at the table. Damn, they were old, Ruby could practically smell their bones rotting. No being had the right to be _ this _ old. They watched her cautiously, not trusting the foreign outsider in their midst. 

“I propose, you do the unexpected,” said Ruby. Vasha leaned forward, listening. Sportacus had her attention. “This council is old and set in its ways. Waiting out the attacker, that is what they’ll expect you to do. The complete opposite, fighting, would also be expected. I propose you do neither.”

“What is neither?” asked Florian.

“Compiling information,” Ruby said. “and talking to a few of my contacts.” A sly smile crossed her face.

“What kind of contacts are those?” Sportacus asked. He knew Ruby had a devious past, they were considered arch enemies by the children; a hero and his villain. The bulk of the villainy Sportacus hadn’t asked about, he was more interested in Ruby and Robbie in the here and now. What they had spent their life doing before the truce, Sportacus had accepted and forgiven.

“I might know a few people within Skräck.” Sportacus facepalmed. The other elves didn’t look happy at the proposed course of action, but neither was Sportacus.

“We can’t be associated with them,” Florian said disgustedly. The Skräck were a terrorist group, plain and simple. They were made up of magical beings who used their magic for nefarious purposes. The High Council may have been a group of ignorant jerks but they weren't using their magic to actively kill humans. Skräck were the worst sort of magical creatures, delighting on the agony of subjacent beings. Countless bodies have been left in their thunderous wake.

Sportacus was floored that Ruby had any connections to them. Sure, she’d been ‘evil’, a loosely based form of it. Playing tricks on him and the children, plotting to run him from LazyTown. But nothing to bring her to the level of the Skräck. Ruby was harmless-they were cold-blooded killers.

“How do you know them?” Sportacus asked, he needed to know.

“One of my sisters was involved years back,” Ruby said. It was the only contact she’d had with her family in all that time since they’d kicked her out. “There was a scuffle and I ended up brushing against a few members along the way.”

“You think someone among them might have answers?” Vasha asked. Ruby smirked and leaned against the table.

“Those monsters have their sticky fingers hooked into all things magical. Whoever is trying to kill you all-they’ll know.” Ruby would stake her life on it.

“Still doesn’t bode well with me,” Florian said. “Getting mixed up with those type of people.”

“Well, doll,” Ruby said, making sure Florian absorbed her mocking undertone. “It’s a good thing you aren’t the ones associating with them. I’ll be. You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about tarnishing this club's reputation.” Ruby rolled her eyes, and Sportacus tried not to smirk but it was nice seeing Florian put in his place.

“Then it’s settled,” Vasha said. “We thank you for your help, Ruby.”

“I’ll need a looking glass to contact them,” Ruby said. Vasha nodded and lead Ruby from the room. As soon as they were out of earshot Florian turned on Sportacus.

“You gotta get your lass in check.” His normally controlled Scottish jargon seeping through in thick clumps, along with his obvious irritation.

“No chance in that.” He chuckled. “She lives for herself, and doesn’t take shit from anyone.” Florian huffed.

“I heard an interesting tidbit from Alphonse last night,” Arno said. “That the companion he’d brought at your request, was male, not female. Yet, here we met a young lady today. I wonder how that is?” Arno said bordering on an accusation, but also sounding genuinely curious.

“The man and Ruby are one and the same,” Sportacus said. “You may see him around, just as you will see her. I will say no more than that, it isn’t my place.” If Ruby wanted to tell her story, that was her business. Sportacus had no right to tell it, and they had no right to know it. They’d have to live with the mystery that was Ruby and Robbie.

“I like her,” Voss said. It was the first time he’d spoken in hours. They had all thought he was sleeping, or dead. They had been too afraid of disturbing him and finding out they were wrong. But him liking Ruby was a boon in her favor, he despised everyone. The High Council he barely tolerated. Sportacus remembered his father saying once that Voss rarely spoke in council meetings anymore because he used to call everyone ‘bludgering idiots’ whenever they voiced an opinion. It made discussion more difficult, and they use to deliberate on issues for years because of it. He’d taken a semi vow of silence in regards to council meetings.

“You’re not the only one,” Sportacus said with a smile.

“Oh, god,” Arno said. “You’re not planning on tainting your bloodline with her, are you?” What business was that of his? It was  _ way _ too early for him and Ruby to be having a discussion about babies, but if their relationship progressed at this rate, who knows. A few years down it could be a possibility. In regards to the tainting bloodline, it already was.

“You don’t have a say in that,” Sportacus said. “And why do you care about my bloodline, it’s already tainted.” He wouldn’t call his mother's fairy blood impure or putrid, it set him apart from the stuffy pure blooded weasels.

Arno sat up straighter and looked to Florian, Voss, and Cecile. The three looked equally confused. Vasha choose this moment to rejoin the group, retaking her seat at the table.

“What is wrong with you four?” She asked. She’d only been gone for a few minutes. Cecile looked back to Sportacus.

“What do you mean your bloods already tainted?” asked Cecile. Vasha raised an eyebrow. Did they really not know? Had his father never told them his mother wasn’t an elf? That is a large detail to omit.

“My mother wasn’t a pure elf, she barely had any elf blood.” He told them. “My father never told you?” Florian shook his head.

“What was she?” Cecile asked.

“A mix of different magical creatures, a bit of elf, some Fairy, Nymph, a tapered amount of human,” Sportacus said. He’d met his distant human relatives once, such an odd bunch they were, hailing from the land of New Jersey.

“ Ólafur knew all this?” questioned Cecile. Sportacus nodded.

“Knowing my father as I know him now, it surprises me too. He has always praised the pure bloodlines, how he ended up married to my mother I’ll never know. He’s dead, and so is she. That is a story that will be lost to time.” Maybe Sportacus was better off not knowing, considering his father’s reputation, however it happened likely wouldn’t paint him in a good light. “Now, is today’s meeting at a close?” Sportacus asked, already rising out of his seat. He wanted this conversation ended before it pried into the more bitter sections of his family life.

“I suppose we are,” said Vasha, rising to her feet as well. The council rose and bowed their heads, wishing each other a pleasant rest. The coming day would be uncertain, but they would hope for better news of their fellow missing elves.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get to have a fun little field trip into the past this chapter.

Sportacus retired to his and Ruby’s room, where he’d hoped to find her, but she was nowhere to be found. Still on her call to her contacts in  Skräck. Sportacus shook his head. They needed to talk about that, and he needed more information on her past. He’d turned a blind eye to it before, but now……….

It would be better to know now than to find out through some series of unfortunate events later. Messing with a terrorist group like them was bound to bring out the villainous side of Ruby she’d been forgetting lately. Sportacus didn’t mind her dark side, but he needed to know more about it. Before ignorance got them into trouble.

An hour passed, and then another, and then another.

The grandfather clock silently struck nine o’clock, well beyond Sportacus’s normal bedtime. But, he’d wait for Ruby. He passed the time on the floor, doing push-ups over a book. He’d spent his whole day with the council, and only when he’d brought Ruby in had anything been accomplished. And now she was somewhere bartering with terrorists.

He could picture her, long purple hair swept back in a ponytail, white dress. Why was she always wearing white when he thought of her? Across from her in a looking glass the dark eyes of a burly man, covered in tattoos. His voice is low, threatening. Ruby holds her ground, makes her demands. She gets her way, and suddenly they have an ‘in’ with the Skräck.

Sportacus slows as he hears the door open behind him, but doesn’t stop his workout regiment. Ruby’s bare feet smack against the floor tile, and a heavy pressure comes to rest on his back.

“How’s the workout?” She asks. The push-ups don’t stop, he quickened his pace, determined to show off his strength.

“Better now.” He grunts. The book in front of him goes forgotten, attention shifted to Ruby. He does another ten pushups before dropping to the floor like a dead animal. Ruby smirks and stands up, offering out a hand to pull Sportacus to his feet. He grabs hold of the outstretched hand and hauls himself up, nearly yanking Ruby to the floor in the process. He steadies her and leads them to the bed.

“Oh?” She raises an eyebrow. “Ready to get the nighttime show on, already?” She smirks and goes to lift her dress up over her head. Sportacus grabs her hand, and holds it in his. Ruby sees the look on his face and knows he’s troubled. “What’s the matter?”

Sportacus sighs and says “We know so much about each other’s past, but I feel like we also don’t know anything.” He knew the large parts of her life, the worst ones that she’d rather bury away. The small evils stayed hidden, concealed by accident.

“You mean the Skräck? You’re bothered that I didn’t tell you?” They were an insignificant part of her life, a moment that was done and tucked away into the farthest corners of her mind. “I hadn’t meant to withhold that I’d been involved with them in the past.”

“I know.”

“When you’re in my line of work, there are necessary evils that accompany it. Please understand that.” She said. It was difficult explaining this side of her life to him. He was good and pure, and she was bad and dishonest. “But, since I’ve had you in my life those evils have seemed less important.” She smiled. “You’re having quite the effect on me.”

“You affect me too,” Sportacus said. “You make me want to stay up all night, to talk or read. Getting into a bit of mischief doesn’t sound horrifying anymore either, it sounds fun.” Ruby laughed.

“Oh no, I’ve ruined you. What will the children think!”

“We’ll go back, and they won’t even recognize me. They’ll accuse you of replacing me with a clone.” He said. Stephanie would no doubt lead the search party to find the ‘real’ Sportacus. Ruby smiled a wide, toothed grin that in the blink of an eye was replaced by a deepening frown.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“It’s alright,” He assured her. “But, is there anything else I should know? You said that the reason you got involved with them in the first place was your sister. I thought after your parents kicked you out, all contact with your family was severed.”

“It was, this…..this was the only time,” Ruby said softly.

 

\--------

 

_ Northern Africa was beautiful, countries of vivid colors and deep culture that Ruby had fully embraced. It was a sharp and intoxicating blend of peoples, like the spices that filled the air surrounding her. Such a peace she found here, it had been a long time since she had found anything resembling it. Perhaps because it was so far away and so different from the world from whence she came. Maybe this was why her heart gave her no trouble, when she thought of this place as home. _

_ She outfitted herself in an aqua kaftan and matching head wrap. If not for her purple hair and light skin, she would have looked as one of the nations trueborn children. It was a special day, the prince had invited her to spend the day at the royal palace, and who was she to refuse his offer? _

_ It would be wonderful. The prince was a sweetheart, and he enjoyed Ruby’s company. A few nights ago they’d spent a wonderful night together under the light of a full moon. Ruby loved this country.  _

_ The palace guards greeted her as she walked through the gate. They were use to her presence, the prince had given her free roam of the grounds. She and the prince would have a lovely evening, sipping on fine wines and basking in the setting sun. _

_ She arrived at their usual meeting spot, a secluded area in the family rooms. Her prince was there waiting for her. His sisters stood giggling behind a curtain. Ruby smiled at them and shooed them away. The laughed as they ran off further into the palace. _

_ “My love” He greeted Ruby with a deep kiss and passed a flute of champagne to her. A deviation from their usual drinks, but she happily sipped it anyway. They laid on the rugs, speaking of their days and sharing kisses. Their times together were short, but filled with passion. Their lives did not coincide. _

_ Ruby had come to the country to work for a company setting up new technologies for the government, and although the prince was involved in government, their paths did not cross. The marketplace was where they had met, two strangers caught up in a flurry of activity. Ruby had been pushed to the ground, and her prince had come to her rescue, offering a steady hand to her feet. A hand she didn’t want to let go. _

_ “Stay with me, my love.” He’d said. Ruby wanted so badly to, but her heart wasn’t ready to settle. She still had a world to see, and new technologies to greet. Which couldn’t be accomplished if she had the title of princess strapping her down. Her prince had understood. He knew she sought freedom, and that he could not give it to her. All he could do was let her understand that when she was ready, he would be there waiting. _

_ But that was not meant to be. Their kisses had grown heavier, they hadn’t even noticed the smoke that entered the room. The natural incense already present had blocked the smell, until it was too late. _

_ Ruby awoke hours later. Alone. Blind. Chained. She couldn’t sense the water in any nearby bodies. A sack was covering her head. Thick metal cuffs were locked around her wrists, rattling when she lifted them. What was the meaning of this? Someone had taken her, and what of her prince! She reached to her head and ripped the sack away.  _

_ She was in a large tent, the canvas ceiling a blotched and fading grey. Her chains were latched to a pole that held up the ceiling. A small oil lamp rested a few feet from her, illuminating the circular tent. What had they taken her for? She understood taking the prince, but what use was she? _

_ She stilled as voices drew closer, the sack remaining in her clenched fists, She would see her kidnappers. Memorize every line in their face, and make sure that they understood the mistake they had made.  _

_ There were distinct voices, a man and woman, arguing. _

_ “We should have just killed her!” The man yelled. _

_ “No, we will not” The woman hissed. “I won’t” _

_ “Your past with her is disrupting our mission.” The man was agitated, anger dripped in his words. _

_ “So be it!” The woman said. “I won’t let her be killed.” Ruby didn’t know who this woman was, but she owed her life to her. _

_ The flap of the tent was drawn back and in walked a man and woman, dressed all in black. They had hoods drawn up, and bandanas concealing the lower half of their faces. The woman had a handgun at her belt, while the man opted for a sword. It was too dark to discern any distinct facial features. Despite the woman’s words that she didn’t want Ruby killed, her hand twitched toward the gun. The woman may have been against killing her, but if Ruby gave her reason to. Ruby was sure her death would be swift. _

_ “Where is my prince?” Ruby questioned, voice soft and pleading. As non-threatening and helpless as she could sound. _

_ “Safe, for now," The woman answered. “We were sent to capture him, you were not meant to be there.” _

_ “My prince and I were sharing an evening together. Please, don’t harm him.” She begged. The man scoffed. _

_ “A bitch begging for her master.” The man chuckled darkly. The woman glared and smacked the back of his head. _

_ “Watch your tongue,” She warned. _

_ “Who are you people?” Ruby asked. _

_ “Oh, don’t worry about that.” The man walked forward and kneeled down next to Ruby. “You’re a pretty thing ain’t ya.” His hand came up and stroked the side of Ruby’s face. “Be a good girl, would ya? Don’t wanna have to slice up that lovely face of yours.” He grinned, every feral tooth showing. _

_ “We will leave her unharmed.” The woman said. The man growled, but obeyed. He stood and went back to stand beside the woman. _

_ “We are in talks with the royal family, to sell back their prince in exchange for a trade.” The woman said. “As a show of good faith, we will send you back first. They seemed eager to have you back as well.”  _

_ The woman snapped her fingers and two men entered the tent behind her. Kevlar vests covered their chests, but she couldn’t see any guns on their persons. They went to stand behind Ruby and undid the chains that bound her to the pole behind her, but leaving the ones that bound her wrists together. _

_ “You will be silent, and you will obey.” The woman came to stand in front of Ruby, and took the sack still clutched in her hands. She placed it over Ruby’s head and the two men behind her forced her to her feet. They guided her forward and out of the tent. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief when the cool night air met her skin. Now if only she didn’t have a bag suffocating her. _

_ They walked for several feet, until she was picked up and placed into a large vehicle. It was an old war cargo truck, lined with benches where soldiers would have sat. She could sense the men and women nearby. Five others in the back of the truck, two sitting on either side of her, and three at the back. The man and woman from the tent had made their way into the driver and passenger seat in the front. _

_ “Where are we going?” She asked. The soldiers shushed her and poked her sides, with what she presumed were loaded guns. _

_ Five hot-headed gun-wielding soldiers? Not ideal circumstances to attempt an escape in. And with the added magical weapons they were likely carrying…..humans may not have been able to sense it, but Ruby was a Water Nymph, she saw these people for what they were. _

_ Magic wielders. Strong ones. The man to her left was an elf, his blood flowed faster, stronger. In only the way elves did. To her right an Incubus, devilous little demon. His body temperature was high and she could detect the light air of arousal he carried around him. Her nose wrinkled up in disgust. The three at the back were of various mixes that were harder to detect. _

_ Magical creatures, who wielded guns? It was enough to put two and two together. The Skräck. _

_ Ruby focused her senses at the front of the truck, the man was another Incubus. But, the woman. Ruby’s senses went astray when she tried to see her. There was something throwing Ruby off her, like it was affecting her ability to use her magic. She’d never encountered such a creature. That had her even more curious, but this wasn’t the time for mystery or intrigue.  _

_ Ruby didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How had she been roped into this? The woman had said they would trade the prince in exchange for something. Ruby doubted it was any form of currency. The Skräck had many old families funding them, they had no need for money. Yet, they had kidnapped a prince. A crowned prince! The future king of his nation. What did the royal family have that they wanted? _

_ Her prince and his family were non-magical, ordinary in all manner beside their titles. Ruby enjoyed that about them. They knew of her magic, but they sought nothing from it. They choose to accept her differences and embrace the oddities that she possessed. Her prince loved to share baths with her and feel the way she could control the water. _

_ And now her prince was taken by strangers, submitted to god knows what, and was no doubt scared for his life. These bastards would pay. _

_ The truck rumbled and flared to life, jerking forward and down what felt like a dirt road. Ruby was thankful for the sack covering her, or else they would have seen the look on her face. Murder wasn’t her game, but she could play if they dared to lay a hand on her prince. There were a number of options available to her; the guns held by the men surrounding her, or she could control the blood in their veins. Yes, that sounded nice, making them her puppets on hidden strings. _

_ No, any funny business and they’d no doubt send a signal to whoever was holding her prince, and he would be killed. Ruby clenched her fists and forced herself to not act on her instincts. Saving her prince was priority number one, revenge was second. _

_ The truck flew faster, and the bumps smoothed out. They were on the city roads, drawing closer to their destination. Where would they take her, to the palace? To the waiting arms of her beloved's family. Where she was supposed to wait in silence for an exchange? Ruby would let herself be exchanged, but she’d raise hell before these monsters received any type of payment for their deeds. _

_ After another hour drive, the truck came to a halt. There were many people around, those inside the truck, with another dozen standing in a line directly in front of them. All of those in line were human. _

_ “Up” One of the men grabbed Ruby’s arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. They walked her out of the truck, and lifted off the back. “This way.” They lead her forward. The place they stood was bright, light seeped through the smallest of holes in the woven sack. All at once the bag was ripped from her head, and she winced at the blinding spotlight trained on her. _

_ “We have your prince’s woman!” The masked woman shouted. Across from them stood the line of men. Ruby saw them now, soldiers of the royal family. At their center stood the king, dressed in red and gold. The two opposing sides stood on a large platform with an H painted across it. “Take her!” One of the Skräck soldiers shoved Ruby forward and she stumbled her way across the platform. _

_ Ruby went quickly and took up a safer spot behind the well-armed line of soldiers. _

_ “Give me my son!” The king shouted. _

_ “Do you have what we requested.” The woman asked. The king looked to his right and beckoned over someone hiding in the shadows, beyond where the spotlights reached. Two men came forward, each bearing the weight of a large metal chest. They laid it down at the woman’s feet and ran quickly back where they’d come. _

_ The woman stooped down and opened the chest. Her mask obscured her face, but Ruby could tell she was grinning. She snapped the lid shut and motioned for it to be taken. It was moved and loaded into the truck. _

_ “You have your payment, now give me my son!” The king yelled. _

_ “As you wish,” The woman said. From high above a screech rang out and down swooped a fairy, wings black as night, streaked with what looked like blood. He was a burly fairy, and in his arms he carried the unconscious prince. The fairy dropped him to the ground, and Ruby shuddered at the sound his body made as it hit the concrete. “Let’s go” The woman moved and her soldiers followed. _

_ The royal soldiers rushed forward as they retreated, forming a circle around the fallen prince. Ruby moved to go with them, but the king grabbed her by the arm and held her in place. _

_ “What are you-” Her words were lost as throngs of soldiers came from the darkness. All wearing the royal coat of arms on their breast. They surrounded the truck, and Ruby ducked down as the sharp sound of bullets pierced the air. Her mind raced for her prince, but she was pinned down afraid any stray movement would send a bullet her way. She watched helplessly at her prince's form through the openings of the soldier's feet that circled him protectively. _

_ Her body shook, he couldn’t die, he wouldn’t! _

_ Magic coursed through Ruby’s veins. A power stronger than she had ever felt in her life, every piece of her mind focused on her prince. She would not let them kill him. Not today, not ever. _

_ Her hands lifted of their own accord, and she listened as the sound of bullets ceased. Around her every soldier had gone still, on both sides. Their fingers twitched, their bodies tensed as though about to convulse. She walked forward, hands never wavering. Her prince would not be harmed by these heathens. She had control of them. They were her puppets, all except one. _

_ “That’s a neat trick.” It was the woman, she maneuvered through the gaps of frozen people, coming to stand a few feet from Ruby. _

_ “What are you?” Ruby asked. _

_ “I am you, Ruby Rotten.” She said. _

_ “How do you know my name?” No one knew that name, not here. She had abandoned that surname years ago. The woman’s hands rose up. Ruby shifted ready to attack, or be attacked. _

_ “Because, we are one and the same.” She pulled away her bandana and dropped it to the ground, and slid back her hood to reveal fair blonde hair. That face. A face she hadn't seen since she was a teenager. A memory sewn with seeds of regret. _

_ “Blossom?” _

_ “Hello, sister,” Blossom bowed her head in greeting. _

_ “What are you-” Ruby’s voice broke off. “Why-the Skräck?” How had her sister become involved with these terrorists? She had been a sweet girl as a child, only coming into her Rotten name as a teenager. But she had never acted as though she had the potential to get wrapped up in a situation like this. In a group of warmongering psychopaths. Blossom smiled sadly at her. _

_ “You know so little about this world sister,” She said. “About these people.” She nodded her head to the still unconscious prince. “I can help show you the way.” _

_ “This-you can’t expect me to join you,” Ruby said. “I may not have a heart of innocence, but I will never stoop so low as to join the Skräck. Humans have done nothing to rally my hatred.” The Skräck were an evil she would shake hands with, _

_ “I was an awful child all those years ago,” Blossom said, her eyes were cast down to her feet, looking properly shameful. “Father hurt you, and we stood by and let him. I let my sister be beaten and I let them degrade you. They forced you out and we did nothing, we were too afraid of the same thing happening to us” _

_ “That is the past.” _

_ “Yes, but I am sorry,” Blossom said. Ruby breathed out a broken breath. She didn’t know if this was a true apology from her sister, or if she only said what Ruby wanted to hear. To try and bring her into the fold of the Skräck. “Join me, we were sisters once, and we can be again. You remember those days in the sun? We can have them again.” Blossom held out her hand to Ruby, an open offer.  _

_ Tears stung Ruby’s eyes. So much she wanted her sister back. To be like they were as children, happy and carefree. Playing together in the fields with Lyla and Willow, blissfully ignorant of the worlds harsh realities. Four sisters who loved each other with all their hearts. But, that was not a life she was meant to have. _

_ Ruby felt her control over the soldiers slipping. The adrenaline that had given her the strength to stop them was waning. They would regain the use of their bodies soon and the fighting would continue, and people would die. Ruby screwed her eyes shut. No! They would not die, any of them. _

_ With the last of her strength, Ruby slowed the flow of blood to everyone's brains, just enough to- perfect! Like dominos, each soldier fell to their knees and then onto the ground. Blossom growled and shoved Ruby backward. _

_ “Why do you resist!” She yelled. Ruby brought up her hands and pushed Blossom back. _

_ “Because I won’t kill!” _

_ “Then that makes you weak, and we have no use for you.” Blossom unholstered the gun at her waist. She wouldn’t! Ruby’s mind screamed at her to run, but she stood frozen, just as the soldiers had been. Her blood was not her own to control. Blossom was controlling her, she couldn't move. She tried to run, but her body strained against the blood inside of it. Ruby screwed her eyes shut, she didn’t want to see her death. _

_ The sound of the gunshot deafened her, and then- _

_ Ruby’s eyes flew open, her arms came to her chest. She had control again! There were no wounds. Her head snapped up to look at Blossom. Her sister stood perfectly still, only a few feet from her. There was an odd expression on her face, like blank confusion. She gave a hoarse gasp and fell to the floor. _

_ “My prince!” Behind Blossom, laying on the ground lied the prince. One of the soldier's guns in hand. The barrel of the gun was still smoking. He shot her! Ruby rushed to his side. _

_ “My love, you're alright.” He said, stroking the side of Ruby’s face.  _

_ “Yes, we must go.” Ruby kissed his lips lightly and pulled him to his feet. The two slowly hobbled away. The king emerged from his hiding place in a bush, flanked by two more soldiers. They collected the chest that was to be traded and the group escaped quickly back to the royal palace. _

 

_ \------------ _

 

“I left shortly after that,” Ruby said. The memories were distant, and growing more faded each year. “My sister died.”

Sportacus sat in stunned silence. That was……..unexpected, he hadn’t believed Ruby’s sister was that deep into the Skräck. She was running prisoner exchanges, that was no rookie job. Blossom was a higher associate with access to soldiers and weapons. The leaders of the Skräck had trusted her, put their faith in her.

“Did she go into that mission, knowing you were there?” Sportacus asked. Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

“She must have, but I never could get finite answers.”

“What happened to your prince? You never did say his name.”

“His name is Ali. After I left he moved, married, had a few kids. We lost touch back in the nineties, but he’s now the king of his country.” Ruby said, her smile fell to a slight frown. Ali didn't cross her mind very often anymore. Sometimes Ruby wonders what might have been if she’d stayed. Would she have been his wife? His queen? Trapped for life with titles of royalty. She shook her head, leaving had been the best option for her.

“You miss him?”

“Of course, I miss everyone. My mother, my father, my sisters, Ali. They were people who once loved me and I thrived in their love until I could no longer.” Ruby told him.

“Will you leave me too, someday?” Sportacus asked. The fear bubbled in his chest, clenching tight at his heart. The thought of waking up someday in the future, and knowing Ruby wouldn’t be there to share the day with him, was unbearable.

“No, not you,” Ruby promised. “Ali was never going to be mine forever, we both understood that from the beginning. The two of us were headed down different roads. When I left he told me to not be a stranger, and to find a love greater than what he and I shared.”

“Do you love me?” Sportacus was amazed the words came out solid, and coherent. Ruby eyes widened and she smiled sheepishly. 

Did she? She’d felt love before. She’d felt hopeless love, childhood love, playful love, guarded love. Ali had given her passionate love that burned bright like starlight, but would have ended like a comet striking the Earth. Did Sportacus give her love? Ruby saw their months together in a flash. Sportacus coming to her rescue despite their past struggles, accepting her life and her differences, bearing their souls to one another. She had been honest with Sportacus in a way she never could be with anyone else. Ruby huffed a laugh. 

“I think I do,” Ruby said at last, she leaned over and pulled Sportacus into a chaste kiss. Sportacus smiled into in and ran his hands up into Ruby’s hair.

“Then I think I love you too,” Sportacus told her. Ruby let out a shaky breath.

Sportacus felt like flying, but he knew he couldn't. He could feel the muscles still leftover from his severed wings, straining in his back. They were so overjoyed, like when he’d grown them. They never flutter anymore. Sportacus hadn’t even realized they could still move. In that moment he didn’t really care, the ache they gave him was worth the cost, to hold the person he loved in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't my intention when I started writing this chapter to basically make Robbie/Ruby a blood-bender, but that's what ended up happening.


	22. Chapter 22

Ruby’s informants were coming through. She’d spent most of the next day sifting through piles of information. Most were useless, a large section of the Skräck were located in Russia for now, attending a high profile meeting. What was said within that meeting, she had no access to. Her eyes and ears inside the Skräck couldn’t extend that far. There were tidbits about attacks focused in Asian countries, but nothing surrounding attacks on elves.

Another day passed, with no word from the missing High Council elves or their families. Their looking glasses couldn’t connect to the ones whose families were known to have in their possession. Vasha was worried, more worried than she would let on to others. Voss was too, but his hood obscured the worry that was visible in his eyes. Arno, Florian, and Cecile argued without pause into the night. Ruby had already snapped at them, saying ‘If you all want to really hash it out find a bedroom and go at it!”

The three of them had blushed and awkwardly avoided eye contact. It gave everyone a much-needed reprieve from the endless bickering. Sportacus sat silently for the meetings. He didn’t have any useful ideas, what was he supposed to do with possible murderer(s) on the loose? He was accustomed to rescuing kittens from trees and saving children from eating unhealthy snacks. This was far beyond his skill of practice.

Ruby had moved her looking glass to the meeting table and taken up residence in one of the empty chairs. Florian had objected, only to have Ruby pinch his arm until he yielded. Currently, she sat beside Sportacus in the chair elected for the house of Księżyc. Their leader Ondrea was among those missing.

“God dammit!” Sportacus turned to Ruby at her exclamation. The others heads glanced over in mild interest. Ruby’s hands ran up the looking glass, a rectangle mirror the size of a notebook, it flashed a bright red and then buzzed lightly.

“Is something the matter?” Vasha asked.

“This asshole I’m trying to talk to won’t answer my calls.” She said, hands fiddling with the side of the mirror. “The call rings, but he won’t pick up. He is my last option for information, I wouldn’t be contacting the vile bastard otherwise.” She turned the looking glass over and popped the back open. The clear liquid that acted like the glass, floated calmy inside. Ruby reached inside and grazed the liquid with her fingers. “This is a very temperamental type of water, but it is water all the same.” The liquid sputtered and flashed green, before settling to its previous state.

“What did you do?” Arno asked.

“I jailbroke it,” Ruby answered.

“That’s illegal!” Cecile exclaimed.

“Yeah, and so is murder. Fight fire with fire,” Ruby said. “Now this guy doesn’t particularly like me, or women for that matter.” Cecile and Vasha both scoffed. “Luckily, I have a way to change that.” Ruby reached for her pendant and turned it on, switching seamlessly into Robbie.

“So, that’s how you do that,” Florian said with a grin. Robbie eyed him. “I was just curious,” Florian said defensively. 

“Magic pendant, that can cast a powerful glamour.” Robbie monotoned with a raised eye, silently asking how Florian hadn’t already figured that out. “Now, onto this call. It will force the glass on the other end to pick up.”

Robbie placed his hands on the mirror and called out to his contact. The mirror shook slightly and blinked to life. An image of a man sitting on an old couch, fast asleep, a dalmatian sitting at his feet. The man was old, wrinkles lined his face, age spots ran up his neck and cheeks, and what little hair he still held onto was brittle and long grayed. His white shirt was stained and torn, stretched overtop his distended pot belly. He was overall a very unpleasant man to look at. 

Robbie opened his mouth and sing songed. “Darrell” The man didn’t budge, but the Dalmatian lifted its head. “Darrell” Robbie half sang again and smirked when the man still didn’t wake. “Darrell!” The man jolted upright. He saw the looking glass and glared murderously at Robbie.

“Robbie” Darrell said with a sly grin. “Whatever you’re after, you must be pretty desperate if you’re calling me.”

“Well, you are a person who knows everything,” Robbie said.

“Don’t butter me up, shapes. You know everything I sell comes with a price.” Darrel grunted. His hand dipped down and lightly stroked the dogs head.

“Someone's targeting High Council elves, I need info on who,” Robbie told him. Darrell clicked his tongue and looked off, seemingly in deep thought.

After a few dramatic seconds, he spoke. “I may have heard a thing or two.”

“And?”

“Oh no no, payment first,” Darrel said. “You know the process.”

“What’s your price?” Robbie didn’t show, on the outside at least, any interest on what the cost might be. He’d handled dealings with this scumbag before, he knew the price would be steep, but still within reach.

“A lock of your beautiful hair.”

“That’s it?”

“I can add more.”

“No, that’s fine,” Robbie said. Times must have been hard for that to be his only request.

“Hair of a water Nymph can go for millions on the black market.” Robbie rolled his eyes. There’s the Darrell he was so fond of. Making millions only to squander it away for himself like a gold-obsessed dragon.

Robbie looked to Vasha and mimed a pair of scissors with his fingers, then touched his pendant and changed back to his female form. Darrell let out a low whistle from inside the looking glass, followed by some hedonistic humming. Sportacus was just outside the view from inside the looking glass, but he could see it plain as day. He saw the man in the mirror pawing at his pants like a man wanting to grab at what he  _ knew _ he shouldn't.

Darrell rolled off the couch and lurched forward toward the mirror. His legs moved stiffly. The dog watched him warily, ready to jump forward if his master required assistance. 

Vasha handed Ruby the scissors, and Ruby cut a decent sized chunk from the inner layers of her hair, where it wouldn’t be noticeable at first glance. She set the hair down on top of the mirror and watched as it was absorbed through it and popped out the otherside into Darrel’s hands. As soon as the exchange was finished, she touched her pendant and returned to Robbie. Sportacus watched happily as Darrel’s face fell.

“You have your payment,” Robbie said. “Now give me mine.”

“Alright, alright.” Darrell returned to his couch and his dog hopped up with him, laying its head on his lap. “The Skräck aren’t involved with this.” He said with a dismissive wave. “Sure, the Skräck are aware that elves are being targeted, but they aren’t involved for once. From what I’ve put together this one involves the Confratelli.”

“Who?”

“It’s them. Cross my heart, well I would if I had one!” Darrel laughed, but it ended in a wheezing cough. “The Confratelli, you must have heard of them?” Robbie shook his head.

“Ah, you young ones ignoring your history.”

“The Confratelli were once a faction of the Skräck that broke off thousands of years ago during their internal civil war,” Darrell explained with animated hand gestures. “The Confratelli mainly operate from in the shadows, but they’ve been getting more ballsy as the years pass. Most of the crimes you’ve stamped as the Skräck these last few hundred years were actually the Confratelli, but those high and mighty fucking elves wouldn’t listen.”

“Are Confratelli more dangerous?” Robbie asked.

“You bet your sweet cheeks, murderers all of them. They are masters of war, pulling on the strings of world leaders to create beautiful destruction.” Darrell said. “They’ve asked me to join them a few times over the years, but even I won’t soil my hands with them.”

“Any idea who's running this operation?”

“Nah, one of the leaders though, that I’m sure of.”

“And who are they?”

“No one knows,” Darrell said. “The Confratelli are smart. The Skräck are wide and open. They want the magical world to see them and fear them. But, the Confratelli want the world to live in fear, without knowing what they’re afraid of. They are monsters hiding in the shadows of children’s nightmares, waiting for their moment to snap.” Robbie looked over the mirror at the people sitting around the table. “I’ve got some advice.” He looked back down to Darrell. “Get away from whatever elves you’ve gotten yourself messed up with, because when the Confratelli come knocking, you’ll want to be far away.” Darrell’s face blinked from view and the looking glass hummed a dying tune, before shutting off.

“Anyone here heard of the Confratelli?” Robbie asked, eyes stilled trained on the mirror.

“I have.” Robbie looked to Voss. His old wrinkled hands clutched loosely at the table. The skin looking looser and flabbier than it had earlier in the day. “That man wasn’t wrong, we don’t want to mess with them.”

“Then what are we to do?” Asked Cecile.

“Kill,” Robbie told them flatly. “Or be killed.”

“We don’t know whom we’d be killing,” Florian pointed out.

“Then we invite them,” Sportacus said. The table turned to him with curious eyes.

“Explain,” Vasha demanded.

“We don’t know who our adversaries are, so we meet them halfway,” Sportacus said, glancing at Robbie as he spoke. “We extend a hand to them, to meet here at the palace. A cordial invitation to sit with the High Council and discuss a truce.”

“Would that work?” Arno asked, looking to Vasha.

“If you also announce it to the entire magical world,” Robbie said. “Then they’ll have to accept due to societal pressure.” The group looked around at one another. It was a loose plan, but it was the first solid foundation they’d stumbled onto. “Plus, if they viciously kill you all, the magical world will know who's responsible. It will make the trial and execution that much easier.”

Florian groan. “Great mental image, Robbie.”

“This could work,” Vasha said, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

If it did they would avoid their deaths, if it didn’t death was imminent. Retribution would be found for the missing, possibly dead, High Elves not there with them that day. And they would all be allowed to leave and return to their homes. Sportacus smiled, visions of LazyTown shining brightly in his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're winding down to the end. There are 27 chapters in total for this story. Be prepared, we've only got a few more left. Hope you're all enjoying!


	23. Chapter 23

Invitations were sent out, old woven script on new parchment. Sealed with the stamp of the High Elves, and tied with a red ribbon. Sent to every magical post on the planet, for all to see. It didn’t take long. Chatter about the proposed meeting with the Confratelli spread faster than plague-carrying fleas. And within a weeks time, the council had their answer.

The Confratelli were headed to London.

The elves reacted in mixed ways. Vasha sat stiffly in the gardens tending to the plants. Voss slept in his council chair, though he may have also been dead. It was hard to tell with him. Cecile lounged on a couch in her rooms playing the violin. Florian paced the foyer. Arno drank large quantities of liquor. And Sportacus sat beside Robbie in the library, reading  _ Romeo and Juliet. _

They were all nervous. The Confratelli were a new threat to them, but already feared.

Robbie had checked back and was able to locate a number of bombings, assassinations, and terror attacks dating back to the 11th century. These were well-known attacks that had all been labeled as the Skräck. The murders of the Romanov family of Russia, the Hamidian massacre, and the murder of  Archduke Franz Ferdinand were the three of highest note. They orchestrated a war, involving the whole world. The more they researched, the farther their reach stretched.

It rattled the elves’ bones.

Age old beings, some in the thousands, were shaking in their boots. They may be immortal, but they weren’t unkillable. A simple bullet to the head, a sword through the chest, and they’d wink out of reality, like they never existed in the first place. And, they had invited there would be killers into their hidden sanctuary. Were they geniuses, or fools. Either way, they’d be legends.

The attendants readied the palace. Tables were laid out with fine china, and luxury rugs were laid across the floors. Every speck of dust was swept from view. They may have feared their guests, but they’d be damned if they didn’t appear as good hosts. An image of regality had to be maintained even in times of high anxiety.

On the destined day, the elves lined the entrance way, heads held high as they waited. Alphonse was stationed outside the palace to allow their guests entry. He had reported that park was completely cleared of visitors, and not by his doing. It was quite above, no voices, no cars, not even the sound of birds in the trees. The dwarf was twitchy, the hairs of his beard stood on end. He didn’t like this, and neither did the elves. They all gave Sportacus pointed looks every minute or so. Robbie maintained a distance from them in the corridor. From there he could see the foyer, but its occupants couldn’t see him.

Alphonse stood his ground outside. The Confratelli sent a missive along stating they’d arrive at noon. It was 11:58.

The elves had spoken long into the last few nights about their plans. A truce would be their first pitch to their enemies, but should that not work they understood bloodshed would be their only viable option. They all came from wealthy families, not just in money, but in monetary goods, lands, titles. To bring the Confratelli to heel they would sacrifice what was necessary. However, they understood that even if a truce was to be made, it would also be broken. Which lead back to the murder and the bloodshed. A cruel cycle that could consume their lives.

Sportacus longed for his days in LazyTown, carefree and playing with the children. Basketball on the sports field, and showing Stephanie the importance of eating healthy. He even missed the times when he and Robbie fought and squabbled like the children. It seemed so far away now, years felt like they had passed in only the span of two weeks. Would he even live to see their faces again? Or, would he die here in this place? With them never knowing what happened to their friend.

He took a deep breath and roughly fought away the thoughts. If he let himself walk down that path, there was no telling how far down it would drag him. In this moment it was most important to stand tall beside his fellow elves. A united front against a common enemy that threatened their lives.

Noon.

Up top, the quiet persisted. Alphonse tried to keep eyes on every available path, but he only had two eyes. He turned to the sidewalk path on his left, empty. Then to the path on his right, also empty. Back to the right. Thirty people dressed in black stood in neat rows of five. His hand went inside his breast pocket and brushed his golden pocket watch, passing a signal to the elves inside.

The Confratelli were here.

They walked as an army, one marching unite. Each member identical to the next. Black military boots, black pants, black shirts with matching black jackets. And, an oversized hood shadowing their cloth covered faces. Their only differences were their individual variations in height. They wore no sigil, no coat of arms, no identifying brand of any kind.

“I welcome you all the Palace of the High Elves.” He gave a short bow and bid the guests to follow him. He transported all thirty down into the spacious foyer, where the elves waited. Where the elves hoped to not meet an immediate doom.

In an instant, both sides stood chest to chest in the same room. A tense terror ran through the spines of the elves, and an unflinching calm permeated their adversaries. Each waited for the other to make the first move.

“Welcome,” Vasha’s voiced boomed out into the room, echoing against the stone floors. “We are pleased to have you accept our invitation.” She smiled at them and waited for their chosen speaker to introduce them. No one stepped forward from the group, no one spoke. The thirty men and women stood still as statues freshly carved from marble. The elves glanced cautiously at each other. Vasha spoke again cautiously. “If you would like to begin the negotiations we can now go to our meeting hall.”

Now, two black-clad figures stepped forward. Both were women.

They spoke as one, in a voice was not their own. “The Confratelli agree to this,” Their voice was synthetic, fake, like a person speaking into an electric fan.

Vasha took lead and motioned for the group to follow, while the rest of the elves took up the rear. Any stragglers in this place would bring trouble. This palace was ancient and had collected much over that time. Good, bad, dangerous, beautiful, many of the older relics had been locked into the vaults. With an enemy playing in your house, they couldn’t be too careful when it concerned them.

Sportacus glanced backward, to where Robbie was hiding. He was gone. Sportacus had the urge to break from the group and track him down, but he kept himself in check. He had to stay with the elves, this truce was more important. Robbie could take care of himself, he wouldn’t get into any trouble. Or, at least Sportacus prayed he wouldn’t.

 

\------------

 

They’d set up a long conference table to sit at. It still wouldn’t have been enough to sit all members of the Confratelli’s entourage. Luckily, the only ones to take seats were the two women who had stepped forward. The elves took one side of the table, while they took the other. The twenty-eight remaining stood dutifully behind their speakers.

“Introductions are in order,” Vasha said. “I am-”

“We know who you are,” Their synthetic voice was harsh and slicing. “You are the remnants, you hold to the old ways. This can not stand.” Now that they were in better light, Sportacus saw their mouths weren’t moving. The cloth wrapped around their mouth didn’t strain like it should have with a moving jaw. How exactly were they speaking?

“What do you ask of us?” Cecile asked.

“We ask for your surrender,” They said.

“We are not a war, what are we surrendering for?” asked Florian. “We may stand as the High Council, but we have done nothing to earn your wrath.”

Sportacus winced as laughter filled the room, sharp and high pitched, equal to metal nails strumming across an electric guitar. It was painful to hear. He had to resist covering his ears, never before had he hated his elven hearing so much.

“You have persecuted and alienated us. It was your decision that made us hide our nature from the human world, you that decided we would be subjacent to these humans, you that have ignored the plight of those forced to hide their true nature from the world.” Their voice became higher in pitch, hissing out the final words.

The laws of old, that was their attack point. Created by the first council members. These laws govern all magical beings, giving them basic codes to live by. Such as: remain hidden to humans, do not kill humans or they shall kill us, treat all of magic in fairness. Many had issue with that last rule, seeing as it was made by a council solely made up of elves. 

“Those that made the laws you speak of were our ancestors, and remain they stay to protect us,” Vasha told them, voice even, but barely controlled. “We have maintained them due to that very fact.” They laughed again. 

“Where was our protection when our kind was burned at the stake by humans, beaten by humans, tortured and wounded like mutts in kennels. There is no guarantee of protection in those little words written on wilting paper.”

“Then what would you have us do?” Sportacus asked. The two turned to him. Their clothed mouths didn’t move, but it felt like they were smiling at him. Not warm and kind smiles. Wide, threatening smiles, with jagged teeth that covered stretched their whole faces into living nightmares. It was unnerving.

“Disband your ancient council and smother the rules of old. Let them wither and die, until we are all free,” They spoke with such an air of conviction, that they truly believed all problems would be solved if the council did as they demanded.

“Those laws keep us contained for a reason,” said Vasha. “If we were to throw them away as you suggest, what is to stop someone from destroying humanity?”

“Would that be a bad thing?” They said.

“Yes,” All the elves, except Florian, said in unison.

“What have humans ever done for you?” They asked. The elves quieted. Sportacus didn’t want to speak first, he wanted to hear the other elves experiencing with humans. But they remained silent. Sportacus was shocked. Did they really spend so little time with humans?

“I have human friends,” Sportacus said. The elves looked to him, they seemed surprised.

“Oh, do you?” They asked.

“Yes, I have several human friends,” He told them. “I live in a small town that is almost completely humans.”

“But, you hide your true self from them?”

“Yes, because it is what’s safest for them,” He said. “You're not the first to propose abandoning our laws. It has been tried in the past, and it has failed. Our kind died, and so did theirs.”

“That was the middle ages, over one thousand years ago. Humans were young, ignorant things. They saw what they did not understand and thought to destroy it out of fear.” Sportacus had to hand it to the Confratelli their persistence was admirable.

“And so would they today,” Cecile said. “Humans fight each other for that very reason. How are they to understand us, if they cannot understand each other.” Cecile’s voice started to shake and she turned to Vasha to finish her words. Vasha opened her mouth to speak, but Voss raised a hand to take the floor. Vasha conceited to him.

Voss sat up straight in his chair, his joints cracked and moaned from the effort. His mouth opened and he rasped out “If we lifted the laws as you suggest, they would massacre us with guns and bombs. Which our kind would retaliate by massacring them with magic. It cannot happen.”

“Voss Zauber,” They said. “Oldest of the High Council, you lived through the last lifting of the laws, is that correct?”

“Indeed I did.”

“It is of your expert opinion the laws should stay in place?” They asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright, the laws shall stay.” The elves blinked in surprise. Just like that? Their fight was surrendered with only a simple ‘yes’. Sportacus felt even more on edge now. These people were playing a game with them, chasing them like rats in a maze.

“Then what is your next demand?” Arno asked.

“We already asked our other demand. Dismantle your council, the laws of old remain intact but there is no need for this council anymore.” They said.

“We beg to differ,” Cecile said with a smirk. “Laws need to be voted on and upheld.”

“By you?” The women questioned. Their hands flexed out onto the table in unison, each tracing invisible circles into the wood. “Ten elves.” They huffed a laugh. “Not a very diverse group. You are one race of many, and yet you hold dominion over us all. Does that seem fair to you?”

“No,” Sportacus said. The other elves sparred matching glares at him. But, it was still the truth. It was one of the parts Sportacus hated most about the absurd council. They excluded all other races, as though they didn’t exist, or matter enough to have input. “You are not wrong.”

“Disband? Add members of other races? What would you ask of us?” demanded Vasha. “If we must do it to avert bloodshed, we will do it.” This seemed the exact answer the Confratelli wanted. Now Sportacus could see their grins, faintly underlined by their mouth cloths. Their hands were still tracing circles in the table, and the longer it went on the more it shook Sportacus.

“Yes,” they hissed. “A new council, a better council. Made up of one from every prominent magical race, and that includes elves. On this new council, one of you would serve, the rest would go back to whatever menial hole you’ve drug yourself from.”

“We must discuss this among ourselves,” Vasha said standing. “We can break for now, so that we may discuss privately.”

“Wait,” They commanded. “We have another request.” The elves waited, wanting to know what their next  _ request _ would entail. “The Confratelli ask for the nymph that is here, she goes by the name Ruby Rotten.” Sportacus sat up, eyes wide. What did they want Ruby for?

“No,” Sportacus told them.

“What Sportacus means to say,” Vasha said quickly. “Is that we cannot trade a person. Slavery was abolished centuries ago by our kind, and we cannot simply trade her to you.”

The women stood, and the small army behind them stood at attention, their boots smacking against the floor.

“Then this deal will be called off. An answer is expected by this time tomorrow. If your answer to either is no, then we will destroy the city, and murder every human inside of it.” The women stepped away from the table and walked back toward the entrance.

“Why do you want Ruby!” Sportacus called after them. They stopped and turned back.

“She knows. Ask her.” They smiled and turned away. “We won’t be staying here tonight. You have twenty-four hours before we return. Think wisely on our demands, and the lives that are at stake.”

They left. Alphonse saw them out, and that left only the elves, still seated at their table. Alphonse returned a few moments later, gladly reporting the Confratelli had vanished within moments of being released out of the palace entrance.

“Do you know where Robbie is?” Sportacus asked.

“No, my lord. I saw him exiting the foyer shortly after our guests arrived, but lost track of him.” Alphonse said. Vasha dismissed him and the elves relocated to their normal round table in the courtyard.

They agreed to the terms of disbanding the exclusively elf council. With Vasha retaining the seat for the elves. There was hardly a debate. They all found the requirements and endless meetings, a trifle in their lives. It was a waste of time that could be spent elsewhere. Sportacus was shocked by how little they fought for a tradition that was supposedly sacred. That settled quickly and they moved on to the second demand. 

“Why do the Confratelli want your girlfriend?” Arno asked. Sportacus shrugged. He honestly didn’t know and that was even more frightening. What could they want her for? What would they do to her? He wasn’t going to find out the later questions, because they would never lay a finger on her. He would protect her.

“They want me, because I know who they are.” Their heads swung toward the voice. Ruby was walking into the courtyard, hands clasped neatly in front of her.

“Who they are?” Florian repeated.

“Well, at least the two women.” She said, taking a seat. “I’m fairly sure I know who they are, if my memory and my senses are to be trusted.”

“Who do you think they are?” Sportacus asked.

“My sisters; Lyla and Willow.” Her voice teetered on a sad note.

“How can you be sure?” Sportacus asked. “You haven’t seen them in decades.”

“When I saw Blossom all those years ago, I didn't immediately recognize her. That was because my senses were still growing when I was a teenager the last time I’d seen her. They had never  _ seen _ another water nymph, so I couldn’t figure out what she was.” She told them. “But those two.” She growled. “They reeked of water nymph.”

“And your sister Blossom was involved with the Skräck?” Cecile asked.

“I had assumed at the time that she was involved with the Skräck. She never said she wasn’t, but never explicitly said she was. Now, I’m beginning to think the devious plot I interrupted was actually being orchestrated by the Confratelli.” She told them. “I can’t confirm it solidly, but the reason I ducked away when they entered the palace was because of their clothes. They were dressed almost identical to how Blossom and her soldiers dressed when I saw them decades ago.”

“Her soldiers?” Florian question. “Your sister was in some point of power?”

“Yes. She was leading a kidnapping mission on a prince in northern Africa. I went in to try and rescue the prince, and that’s how she and I met. In the middle of a battlefield. She tried to recruit me and I told her ‘hell no’.”

“And now it seems that your other sisters are running that group of barbarians,” Florian said, like he was accusing her. That somehow the events leading them to this point, were all due to Ruby’s actions. 

“Do you want to know how that mission ended?” Ruby asked through gritted teeth. Sportacus saw the rage pooling in her eyes. “My sister died, I watched my sister die in front of me- at the hands of-” She broke off in a choked breath. Sportacus rose to his feet.

“I think we should end this for tonight,” Sportacus said, he walked to Ruby and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“We still haven’t figured out what to do, Sportacus,” Vasha said. “They’ll need an answer tomorrow, and we need to have one to give them.” Sportacus opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp tug on his hand stopped him. He looked down and found Ruby holding his hand tightly.

“I will willingly give myself to the Confratelli.”

“What!” Sportacus exclaimed. “You can’t do that!”

“What are the consequences if I don’t?” She asked sadly. “People will die, this way they can live.” 

“You can’t.”

“I can.” Sportacus shook his head.

“Your sisters will know what happened to Blossom. They may not be so forgiving.” He said. “As soon as you leave the palace they might kill you.”

“I understand that.”

Sportacus whispered. “I don’t think you do.” 

He couldn’t let her die. Once already he was faced with that possibility. Not again, never again. He loved her. Ruby and Robbie were the best parts of his life. Everything, before they were together, seemed faded and monochrome. Life hadn’t truly started until he found them. He couldn’t lose them. Not for a day, not even for a minute.

“Perhaps, we should allow them privacy,” Vasha said, standing from the table and bidding the rest of the elves to follow her away. Left alone Sportacus wasn’t forced to hold himself together. Tears fell steadily down his cheeks. Ruby sucked in a breath. She didn’t want to see him cry.

“Please, don’t” She whispered. Ruby’s hands reached out and cupped his cheeks, pulling him in for a kiss. It wasn’t happy or joyful like there previous. The taste of his tears on her tongue would haunt her for years to come.


	24. Chapter 24

Sportacus was an egg, fallen from a countertop, shattering into a thousand pieces as it hit the floor. The world crumbled to dust around him, and he was powerless to stop it.

He and Ruby had walked back to their room the night before, and Ruby had tucked him under the duvet. Curling into his chest, with her arms holding him close. Sportacus felt pathetic, crying like a spoiled child who was having a toy taken away. His breaths came in short, stuttered waves. It was starting to become difficult to breathe. She held him in her arms until he cried himself to sleep. Once his breath evened out, she cried her own tears, weeping until she too found sleep.

Morning had dawned around them, but Ruby slept on. Sportacus sat up, Ruby’s head in his lap. He stroking her hair lightly. Perhaps if he didn’t disturb her, they could stay this way forever. The Confratelli would forget, and they could live on blissfully together.

Sportacus briefly considered trying to stop Ruby. To let her know that her decision was rash, and there were more options. But there weren’t. Time was ticking, and lives were on the line. Ruby must have a trick up her sleeve, some ingenious way of turning the odds in their favor. He hoped so. That was her, to let the enemy believe they were succeeding, only to foil their grand plans.

His fingers carded through her silky purple locks, over where she’d cut off the strands last week. They were short and straight, defying the hairs around them. His heart fell when he heard a soft ‘hmmm’ of pleasure from Ruby.

He didn’t want her to wake up.

Her head turned, and sleepy eyes opened. Ruby smiled softly as soon her eyes focused in on him.

“Good morning,” She whispered, hands drawing up to stoke a finger along his jawline.

“Morning,” He greeted back, voice hoarse from the previous nights weeping. Her smile lessened, but still held on. Her hands stroked his face, and his moved from her hair to run along her eyebrows. Those beautiful hands ghosted over his mouth and he kissed them both lightly as they passed. Ruby giggled and swept them back into his hair, tugging lightly at the golden strands. Until her hands poked at the tips of his ears. Sportacus groaned and moved to pull away, but Ruby was faster.

She caught his shirt with one hand, pulling him down so she could have free reign of his ears. They were extremely sensitive, and he was sure she knew that. Sportacus loved having his ears touched, but Ruby had never had the chance to find that out yet. Her fingertips traced the shell of his ear slowly, Sportacus tried to hide the keening sound that escaped his throat. Ruby raised an eyebrow and sat up on her knees, making the two eye level.

Ruby leaned forward, burying her face into his hair. A tongue darted out and licked its way up his ear, paying special attention to the pointed tip. Sportacus groaned and rested his hands onto Ruby’s hips.

She blew hot air onto the wet path she’d made, and whispered, “So, you’re an ear guy. I can get behind that.” She switched sides, giving his other ear the same noteworthy treatment.

One of her hands was still firmly clutching his chest and he shuddered as he felt it release its hold, and begin to drift lower. It settled on the waistband of his sleep pants, playing haphazardly with the drawstring. His focus shifted back to what was happening to his ears, and he jumped in surprise when, without warning, Ruby gripped him through his pants. His head fell back against the headrest with a thud, eyes squeezing shut. He couldn’t see but he knew Ruby was grinning. 

“.....Ruby.” He groaned. She licked his cheek and descended onto his parted lips, tongue slipping inside. Sportacus gripped her sides tight and pulled her up onto his lap. Her hand retreated from his groin, instead sliding beneath his shirt. He’d have complained if Ruby didn’t choose that moment to roll her hips.

“You have such a nice way of showing you like me.” She murmured against his lips. Sportacus bucked up against Ruby, pressing his hardness flush with her thighs. There was no such thing as too close where he was considered. In fact, they weren’t close enough. A few layers needed to be shed. 

Sportacus slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her shirt and ran his hands along her bareback. He’d have taken more time to savor the feeling if he’d thought he could hold out that long. But, with Ruby rolling her hips……...he didn’t think he’d last much longer. Maybe he should have reconsidered the self-assigned abstinence for several decades thing. His stamina was embarrassingly low.

He tugged up, pulling the shirt off in one fluid motion. Eyes open and staring at Ruby’s naked body, he realized something. He’d never  _ really  _ touched her breasts. He wasn’t counting the half-asleep foreplay Ruby had done to wake him up. And their first coupling had been wild and quick, but now he could explore. As long as Ruby stopped with the crotch humping.

He pushed her back against the bed and climbed on top of her. The lack of contact to his cock stung, but it was manageable. Sportacus bent down and took one nipple into his mouth, sucking until it stood perky and hard. One of his hands massaged her other breast. Ruby moaned and threaded her hands through Sportacus’s hair. God, she loved this man!

Sportacus worked like a skilled master for several moments before Ruby yanked roughly on his hair to bring him up to her face. Passionate kisses were pressed against his mouth, teeth sunk into his lower lip. The taste of blood filled his mouth. Ruby didn’t slow, she wanted him. He’d managed to work her into a frenzy.

“Fuck me. Now,” she ordered, her hands dropping to his pants. She didn’t even wait for him to help, just started forcefully pulling down his pants. Sportacus reached down to help, but found his hands swatted away. The pants came down and he groaned as the cold room air caressed his cock. “Oh, this is gonna be wonderful.” Her hands went to yank down her cotton sleep shorts. She didn’t bother to pull her’s all the way off either. They both ended up with tangled pools of cloth around their knees. Too pressed by other priorities to fully remove them.

“Jeez….ah….Ruby.” Sportacus groaned as Ruby’s hands wrapped around his cock. And, without further words or preperation, she pressed on his backside, sending his cock downward and sliding inside of her. Their groans and moans blended as they both adjusted. Sportacus bucked forward, completely sheathing himself. Ruby’s hands stroked his back, nails scratching him just enough to leave red trails in their wake.

He shuddered and rocked his hips in and out, Ruby coming up to meet every thrust. For several minutes the room was filled with only the sound of heady moans and the slap of skin on skin. Sportacus panted, trying to catch his breath without actually stopping. Ruby’s nails dug into his back, breaking the delicate skin. Sportacus buried his head in Ruby’s hair, while she licked and bit at his exposed neck.  He tried to maintain a steady rhythm, but it was a fruitless quest.

“I-I love….ahh...you.” Sportacus groaned. 

“Yeah,” Ruby said, giving his neck a particularly vicious bite. “Love you, too.”

Sportacus shuddered at her words. Ruby was so beautiful, so perfect. He could spend the rest of his life with her. Live every morning together, every evening, kiss her every night before bed. An image formed in his mind as clear as glass. The two of them back in LazyTown, enjoying a picnic in the park. Sportacus leaned back against a tree with Ruby/Robbie’s head rested in his lap. Both of them fully engrossed in a book. Yes, if he had one wish it would be to have Ruby and Robbie at his side forever.

…….But, was that even possible?

A lump clogged Sportacus’s throat and his shoulders shook as he tried to regain control. He buried his face further into Ruby’s hair, she didn’t need to see him like this. Ruby moaned, oblivious to his internal struggle.

What if she didn’t come back? What if…….This could be their last time.

Sportacus clenched his fists into the bed sheets. Ruby’s legs came up and wrapped around his back, squeezing his hips in a tight vice. If this was there last time, it would be memorable. Sportacus thrust back harder the next time, glad for the pleasured gasp Ruby rewarded him. He was being more aggressive than he would normally be, but by the sounds Ruby made, she didn’t seem to mind.

“J-Just….l-like...tha-that.” It took Ruby a few moments to fully get her words out.

Ruby’s orgasm hit without warning, the increased pace through her off and she hit her peak sooner than she would have liked. Her nails dug deeper into Sportacus's back, absolutely sure she’d made them a bloody mess. Sportacus gave a few more good thrusts before spilling deep into Ruby with a choked scream, muffled by her hair.

Sportacus trembled, his body going limp on top of Ruby. There was enough sense to brace himself on his arms to avoid crushing her, but his mind was spent. It was all  _ too _ much.

Tears leaked from his eyes, soaking Ruby’s hair and the sheets beneath her. His will had broken clean in two, and now Ruby would hear him.

Her hands carded gently through his hair, and a soft kiss landed on his cheek. “Shhh, I know.”

“Please, tell me you have a plan,” Sportacus sobbed.

“I do, but I can’t tell you, because you’re really not going to like it.” She told him. Her heart seized. To make such a beautiful, innocent man cry…..she was truly the worst woman who ever lived. “Sportacus, you are better than I deserve.” Sportacus choked out a broken laugh.

“I honestly thought you were too good for me.” He told her. Ruby laughed and placed a firm kiss on his temple.

“I’m a two-bit villain, with a busload of baggage, who couldn’t defeat a simple elf.” She said. “You got the better end of our deal.” Sportacus let out a disagreeable ‘huff’ and rolled onto his back, pulling Ruby with, so her head ended up on his chest. 

Ruby glanced up, and was immediately filled with guilt. His face was flushed red, with still glistening tears in his eyes. Sportacus tightened his arms around her, holding her firmly against him. His eyes trailed down to look straight into hers.

“I have been gifted with not only a beautiful woman, but also a handsome man. All wrapped up into one incredible person, who I love very much.” He told her. Ruby smiled lightly, restraining the pain that pulsed in her heart, and rested her head back down.

 

\----------

 

The sun rose higher into the sky, with the promise of an imminent meeting. Sportacus and Ruby stayed in bed longer than the should have, savoring their moments together. But, even that had to end.

They stood to their feet and silently dressed. Ruby had chosen an uncharacteristic pair of black pants with her white blouse. Her pendant swung loosely from her neck on full display, not tucked away as per usual.

Midday approached faster than anticipated, like a racing steed kicking up dust behind it. The elves were waiting at the council table when they arrived. Vasha was solemn, speaking in short, curt words. Cecile had a frown that wouldn’t be lifted. Arno and Florian were ignorant and uncaring, as per usual. Although, Ruby thought she spied a nod of understanding from Arno. Perhaps, the elf of energy understood the motives of the water nymph.

“We wish you safety, wherever you may go,” Vasha told Ruby, standing from the table. Her hands reached out and took Ruby’s. “The council and the world  _ will _  remember this.” Her hands squeezed tight, before releasing. Ruby nodded, and together the eight walked out to the palace entrance.

“Alphonse, if you will,” Cecile said. The dwarf nodded and opened the entrance, a moment later they stood above ground in the park. It was deserted, as it had been yesterday when the Confratelli were approaching. Trees rustled as a soft wind blew, and the birds went silent.

Ruby glanced at the small hoard of elves around her. They made no moves to stop her, no actions, no words. She wondered, were they that uncaring of what the Confratelli might do to her, or were they  _ that _ afraid of them? People in fear do foolish things.

A warm hand found hers. Sportacus slipped his fingers in between hers, interlacing them. 

Sportacus didn’t try to stop her. He knew he couldn’t. Instead, he wrapped up all his emotions and pain, and shoved it deep down inside himself. For now, he was holding himself together, but that wouldn't last. Once she was gone, he’d lose himself thinking on what might happen to her. Wondering if she was alive or had suffered a cruel death at the hands of her own sisters.

None of this sat well with Ruby.

_ Thud! _

They all startled to attention. Twenty feet in front of them, where before there had been only grass and trees, now stood Willow and Lyla. Behind them stood their soldiers, only this time they were armed. All of them had guns, strapped to their backs and thighs. Ruby could see grenades and smoke bombs at their belts.

“What is the meaning of this!” Vasha yelled outraged.

“We assure you these weapons will not harm you.” Only one of her sisters spoke, the one standing to her left.

Her sister on the right side spoke. “They are to ensure that our payment is given.” 

“Those aren’t necessary.” Ruby released Sportacus’s hand, and with one last lingering look at the man she loved, she began to cross the gap between her, and the Confratelli.

“We are glad you join us, sister.” They both said. Halfway to them, Ruby paused.

“I want to see your faces.” She demanded.

“Why?” They asked.

“Because, I want to know that you are truly my sisters.” The two turned to each other and silently nodded.

“This is agreeable.” 

Together their hands raised. Grabbing the edges of their hoods and pulling them back, the cloths on their mouths falling away with them. They were shadows being shined away by the sun. Ruby’s breath caught in her throat.

She had been right. Her sisters. Tears welled in her eyes. It had been so long, so very long. Yet, in all those years, she still recognized them. They were books she read as a child and hidden away, only to find them again as an adult. She read the pages again, with memories flying forward of a script she’d seen before.

Willow’s hair was long and wild. Their hair had been identical as children. But now Willow’s was sleek and straightened out, concealing the gentle curls that once existed. A  jagged scar ran down her right eye, dipping almost to her mouth. 

Lyla’s hair was dyed a yellowish blonde, like a wheat field. Their mother would have been furious to see that. She hasn't aged as well as Willow. Wrinkles framed her hazel eyes and plump lips. She looked haggard and old. What had she been through to make her look like that? What had these years done to her?

“Sister.” Willow held out her hand to Ruby. “We have waited a long time for you.”

Ruby took a deep breath and stepped forward, reaching out to take the offered hand. As soon as Willow’s hand grasped hers, there was a loud pop and in an instant, she felt the sensation of falling. Hard and fast through the open air. Ruby tried to scream, but her body was locked. She couldn’t move. Was this it! Was this how they’d kill her? She didn’t want to die like this!

A face flew into her mind. Sportacus’s face. Those tear stained cheeks he’d had this morning when she’d promised him she had a plan. Which was true, in part. She did have a plan, that no matter what happened to her, Sportacus would survive. Their months together had brought her more joy than most of her lifetime had brought. And now she would die, and he would suffer without her. No, what had she done!


	25. Chapter 25

As quick as it began, the falling ended. Ruby’s feet hit solid ground, and arms reached out to steady her. She gasped for air, amazed that she was alive.

“We have you sister, do not worry.” Her head spun, and she couldn’t get her bearing. There were people surrounding her, fading in and out of view. The voice, that was Willow. Ruby felt herself swaying dangerously, and her knees buckled beneath her. “Lift her, bring her to the medical tent.” Lyla had said. Ruby saw lights high above her, shining so bright. She tried to look away, but felt the world tip into the darkness around her.

 

\---------

 

_ “What do we do with it?” Blossom asked. _

_ “We should bring it home, Mama will know what to do,” Lyla suggested, eyes bright and shining with her wonderful idea.  _

_ “But if we do that, she’ll know we were out in the forest. We weren't supposed to be here today,” Ruby pointed out, gesturing to the oaken trees surrounding them. Lyla’s face fell and she nodded in understanding.  _

_ “Well we can’t just leave it here,” Willow said determined. _

_ The four sisters stood in a circle, looked down to the forest floor. A small bunny, with a bleeding hind leg, twitched its nose at them. It would have run if it could, but now it was doomed to lie their unless someone helped it. So, were these four little girls above him friend, or foe? _

_ “Let’s take him down to the creek, we can wash his wound. Mama won’t have to know, we can heal him ourselves” Blossom suggested. The other three nodded. They ran from the forest, dresses held up so they wouldn’t trip. Past the woods they ran through the meadow, grabbing wildflowers as they passed. Then down the hill to the creekbed. The melted snow of last month had swollen the creek, stretching it into a river. _

_ The girls shimmied down to the water edge. _

_ “I’ve got it.” Ruby held up her hands. The girls watched as water floated up and slinked over toward the bunny in Lyla’s arms. The water encased the bunny’s leg, cleaning away the blood. But the bunny didn't seem to like that. It kicked at Lyla’s arms, scratching deep into her flesh. _

_ “Ahhh!” Lyla yelped, dropping the bunny to the ground. He hit the dirt and rolled sideways-straight into the creek, disappearing into the murky water.  _

_ “No!” Willow screamed. “He’ll drown!” _

_ “I’ve got him!” Ruby yelled. A sphere of water lifted up, the bunny trapped inside. Ruby quickly pulled it forward and released the bunny higher on the shore. But, it was too late. Blue glassy eyes stared back at the four sisters. Willow burst into tears and buckled to the ground. The four sisters mourned their animal friend until a sharp whistling could be heard, carrying over the winds. _

_ “Mama wants us home,” Blossom said solemnly, starting to walk home. _

_ “Wait!” called Lyla. “We have to bury him.” Blossom turned back and eyed the dead bunny. Blossom nodded. They dug into the earth with their bare hands, making a shallow grave. Putting the bunny into the grave, however, was another task. They looked at it warily, afraid to touch death. Blossom stepped away from them and lifted the bunny by its limp ears. Willow shrieked at the treatment. Blossom placed the bunny into the grave and they covered him over. Marking the grave with a few rocks and wildflowers.  _

_ Once it was finished, they walked slowly back toward the cottage. With a silent vow to never speak of that day again. _

 

\----------

 

Silly things like bunny rabbits, why think of them now? Ruby felt a sharp pain pounding inside her skull, and a raw feeling in her throat. Such a long time ago, why think of that day at the river?

“Careful, a first-time teleport can be very taxing on the body.” Ruby’s eyes snapped open, closing as artificial light blinded her. “Here” The light faded away and she found fresh water being pressed against her lips. She drank greedily. Slowly, her eyes reopened. Dizzy eyes focused in on the woman sitting beside her. Willow. 

“S-sister?” She questioned, her voice came out hoarse and scratchy.

“You screamed during the teleport,” She said. “For future reference, not a good idea.” She set the bottle of water she’d been letting Ruby drink from onto a nearby crate. Ruby was propped up against a pillow on a canvas cot. They were in what looked like a shed, a single pull string light hanging above them.

“W-where?” It was the most her voice could croak out.

“A few hundred miles east of where we were.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Ruby asked. There was no point in sugar coating it. They either would or wouldn’t, and Ruby needed to know how to plan her day accordingly. Willow’s eyes widened, she looked genuinely shocked by the question.

“Why would we kill you?”

“Because…..I’m responsible for Blossom’s death,” She said slowly. They were aware of that, right? If they weren’t, then she just royally fucked herself. Willow chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“We don’t hold you responsible for that,” Willow said. “Blossom was supposed to bring  _ you _ in, only _ you  _ on that mission. And then she’d found out about those artifacts the king was hoarding, and she got greedy.”

“What artifacts?”

“They were taken by the king’s great-grandfather during a siege. Ancient magical relics, and Blossom had wanted them. She took the prince to force the king to hand them over, but then that had the effect of turning you against her.”

“Well, she had threatened to murder my lover at the time,” Ruby pointed out.

“Yes, we shouldn’t have let her lead that mission alone. If Lyla and I had been there to keep her in check, that shootout wouldn’t have transpired,” Willow said. “But, we must move forward.”

“If you don’t want to kill me, why am I here?” Hopefully, it wasn’t another attempt to try convincing her to join them.

“We would like for you to join us,” Willow stated without preamble. 

Crap.

“No,” Ruby said, what on Earth could make them think she’d want anywhere near what they were doing? Willow smiled at her and chuckled.

“I thought that would be your response,” Willow said.

“Then why bother asking?”

Willow remained silent, instead she stood to her feet. “Come with me.”  Willow grabbed Ruby’s hands and pulled her to her feet. Ruby swayed, but kept her ground. The dizziness faded after a moment. Willow looped her arm through Ruby’s and lead her from the shed.

They were standing in the middle of a large cluster of buildings. None of them higher than two stories. All of them boxy and beige. Two soldiers flanked every doorway, wearing their traditional all-black garments. Spotlights shined from every roof, illuminating every path, illuminating every shadow. The sky was dark.

Willow lead her to the largest building, where the windows were blacked out. Not ominous or suspicious at all.

Inside were several soldiers, speaking amicably to each other, unmasked. Ruby was surprised to see an orc among them. Well, the Confratelli may have been a ruthless group of killers, but at least they were inclusive. Willow lead her down a flight of stairs, to a basement. Lit only by the light of a single overhead lamp. The walls were built from thick stone and pressed flush together with some type of glittering grout. Honestly, wouldn’t have been a terrible place to be murdered in. Willow may have said she was not blamed, but……Ruby was dubious.

Willow released Ruby’s arm and walked into the dark basement, leaving Ruby alone. Was she getting a gun, or maybe a chainsaw. Fast death, slow death. Ruby wanted it fast, but she’d fight like hell to stop it. She fought Blossom already, and she’d fight again if need be.

The lights flashed on, basking the room in warm light.

Ruby had expected an underground bunker filled with weapons, or a torture room. But, she looked upon a large open…….home. There was a cluster of mismatched couches in the middle, with various glass coffee tables. Two beds rested on either side of the room. A kitchen stretched across the back half, with a small breakfast nook tucked into the corner. One half of the room clearly belonged to Willow, while the other was Lyla.

“Welcome to our home,” Willow said. “You must be hungry. Come sit.” Willow gestured toward the kitchen. Ruby slowly followed. Once Willow crossed into the kitchen, she immediately started preparing a meal.

What was her and Lyla’s plan? Try and convince her to stay and become part of the Confratelli? Any chance of that died a long time ago. Perhaps if they’d approached her before now, before Blossom’s mess in Africa…..her answer may have been different. In a different point in her life, a different her…….it didn’t matter now. This wasn’t a world she wanted to be a part of. Her villainous moments were at the benefit to entertain children, and continue her farce of a rivalry with Sportacus. She wouldn’t become what her sisters had.

Ruby sat down in the breakfast nook and looked about the room. Lyla’s half of the room was neatly decorated with various small sculptures and paintings, all cleaned free of dust. Her bookcase was alphabetized by title (Ruby mentally scoffed, by author was a better system), and had clear containers stacked on her vanity filled with jewelry. Mostly sparkling diamonds, but a few gemstones peeked through.

Willow’s side showed a more earthen side. Her nightstands were overflowing with viney plants that had overgrown their pots. Lilies of various colors were growing from flower boxes bolted to the walls. Surprisingly, Willow had a large computer setup taking up the space opposite where Lyla’s vanity was. Apparently, the earthen flower child was a computer whiz. Ruby wondered-

“Here you are.” Willow stepped into view, breaking Ruby’s train of thought. In hand, she held a plate of fruit and cheeses. “Nothing fancy, just thought you might be a bit peckish.”

“I’m fine,” Ruby said quickly, mentally slapping herself for the hasty words. “I mean, no thank you. I’m not hungry.” Willow gave a tight, disbelieving smile, and set the plate down in front of her anyways.

“Where’s Lyla?” Ruby asked. She’d been curious about her absent sister.

“Getting into trouble,” Willow said, rolling her eyes. “Like she always is.”

“She is?” Ruby questioned. Lyla was always the most well behaved of them as children. She was the first to point out rules, and the first to tattle when they were broken. Lyla tried to stand her ground to protect her sister’s secrets, but if mama raised her voice, she would spill.

Willow sighed and sat beside Ruby. “After you left, it hit Lyla hard,” Willow told her. “She blamed herself for mama and papa turning you away.”

“Why?” Willow looked confused.

“Don’t you remember? The night in town, at the festival?”

Ruby’s brow furrowed. The festival? Her mind rolled back through the years, trying to place when she was speaking of. It hit her in the chest like a semi truck. The festival of the rising sun!

  
  


\------------

 

_ It was in the air! The beautiful scent of pumpkins and burning kindle. Fall Equinox had fallen on the village, and the area shimmered and glowed with magic. Every magical being had emerged from the forests to partake in the ages-old holiday. Jugs of liquored moonshine were passed haphazardly as everyone succumbed to the drink. _

_ “Oh, ye who shall be here, be you man or beast- drink!” they sang off key, dancing around a large bonfire in the town square. _

_ Away from the groups stood a lone woman, though you wouldn’t have guessed at first sight. Her breasts were banded, clothed in loose riding pants and a button up shirt. Hair cut short, and hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat that obscured most of her face. She looked to most a normal man of unknown origin, happening into the village for the festivities. _

_ That was what she wanted them to see. That was what she needed them to see. For tonight she would not be a woman, tonight  _ _ he _ _ was a man. _

_ He pushed himself off the building he’d been leaned against, and circled the edge of the town square, keeping out of the main group's sight. Away from them were smaller groups celebrating. Breaking off into selective groups, who choose to celebrate only with their own kind. _

_ Behind the bakery, were the partiers he was most interested in. The incubus and succubus. So beautiful, they danced with a refined, seductive grace that made his heart leap toward them. He wanted to know what it would be like. They were the only ones that wouldn’t have turned his request away, that was why he now slinked toward the group. A naive confidence driving his feet forward. _

_ “Well, who do we have here?” One of them, a man, said. He was perched atop a barrel of wine, drinking daintily from a goblet. Another, a blond woman, stepped forward, eyeing him appraisingly.  _

_ “A woman, masquerading as a man,” she said, a smile stretching her plump red lips. The others turned his way intrigued. The blonde woman came closer, hands running up his arms, and then to cup his face. “What is your name, sweety?” _

_ “Robbie,” He answered without hesitation. _

_ “Robbie,” she purred. “The name of a true gentleman.” She circled Robbie like a starving vulture, hands running across him all the while. She stopped behind him, and the feeling of her warm breath ghosted over his neck. It was gone in an instant and then the woman stood in front of him again. “What would you have me do to you, Robbie?” _

_ “I would like a kiss.” She barked a laugh. _

_ “Is that all?” _

_ “Yes,” He answered. “A kiss, and no more.” _

_ “I’m happy to oblige.” _

_ She gripped hold of his shoulders and pulled him forward to meet for a passionate kiss. She chewed at his lips, asking for entrance. Their tongues meet for a slow, savory dance, one that was far clumsier on Robbie’s part. He didn’t have much kissing experience, and he couldn’t have compared to the succubus before him. She tasted of a fiery rum and strawberries, so sweet, but dangerous. He could have lost himself in the….intoxicating- _

_ He gasped and pulled back sharply out of her reach. _

_ “Tha-thank you,” He stammered, backing away from her. _

_ “Oh, come now darling. You can have more than that.” She batted her eyelashes at him, and cocked her head to the side. It gave her the appearance of sweet innocence, and not the life sucking leech she truly was. _

_ “No, I’ve had enough.” Robbie ran as fast as possible back toward the town square, but in his haste didn’t watch carefully in front of him. Farther up the path, he collided hard with another and the two went scrambling to the ground. He picked himself up, and pulled the woman he knocked over to her feet without he bothering to look at her. Too worried that someone was around to see, he didn’t need any attention drawn to him. Thankfully, there was no one close by to them. _

_ “I’m sorry, miss,” he said. The woman lifted her head, and Robbie’s heart stopped. _

_ “Ruby!” She exclaimed. Lyla was staring at him in shock. At her clothes, at her hair. _

_ “Please! Don’t tell anyone!” she begged desperately.  _

_ But, Lyla had. _

  
  


\--------

 

“She was young and scared,” Ruby said. “I don’t blame her for that. Anyway, they would have found out eventually. I wasn’t being smart about hiding it.” Their parents finding out had been an inevitability. The only loose variable about it was how badly they would react, which had been worse than even Ruby could have predicted.

“We’ve seen you recently,” Willow said. “As a man, we were watching.”

“Not creepy at all.”

“You are a very handsome man, you’ve done well for yourself.”

“....thanks,” Ruby said, startled by the compliment. Her hand unconsciously reached to fiddle with her pendant. Ruby sat up and looked down, realizing her hand wasn’t coming in contact with it. Her mouth set in a hard straight line. “Where’s my pendant,” She demanded.

“I have it.” Willow reached into a pocket and pulled it out by its long chain. “I admit I was curious about the magic it possessed.” She passed the necklace to Ruby, who quickly slipped it over her head. Hand clenched tight around it.

“I would appreciate if you would leave my belongings alone,” Ruby told her.

“I apologize, I was simply curious,” Willow said.

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“But satisfaction brought it back,” Willow said smugly. Ruby went to smirk at her, but it died before her lips could even twitch.

Why were they debating ages old quotes? This was useless and meaningless chatter. If they had a purpose for Ruby being here, for dragging her from the man she loved and out to some damn military camp, why wouldn’t they tell her! Ruby wanted to give her sisters the benefit of the doubt, but her patience was growing thin. This needed to end…...she was tired of it. 

“What do you want from me?” Ruby asked.

“We want-”

“And don’t say to join you,” Ruby interrupted. “That will  _ never _ happen. Understand that.” Willow glanced toward the stairs and chewed nervously at her lip.

“Alright.” Willow raised her hand and pulled back her long sleeve, revealing a smartwatch. “Lyla, please come down here. It’s time we tell her.” 

“On my way,” Lyla’s voice said over the watch. The two sat quietly for a few minutes, until a door slammed upstairs, followed by the sound of heavy boots clomping down the staircase. Lyla crossed the room and stood beside Willow.

“Come, we will tell you,” Willow told her. The two stood and Lyla lead them to a door leading from the kitchen. Ruby had dismissed the door earlier, assuming it lead to a bathroom. On the other side was a study. The ceiling was impossibly high. They were only a floor down from ground level, yet the ceiling stretched on for several dozen feet. Magic. The walls were completely concealed by rows of portraits of men and women, stacked one on top the other. Ruby’s eyes instantly trained to the one portrait that held a familiar face.

It was just behind the desk. A portrait that stood as tall as Ruby, and had a face that she often dreamt of punching. Clad in crimson-colored regal finery and painted on a black backdrop-her father was unmistakable. What was that bastard doing here? Even in portrait form, his eyes surveyed, judging every aspect of her being.

“What is this,” Ruby demanded.

“These are our forefathers and our foremothers.”

The paintings were numerous, flashes of familiar purple locks colored many of their hairs. Familiar eyes, familiar cheekbones. Ruby had never met any of these people, but still….she knew them. Echoes of a history she did not know rang like church bells in her ears.

“Who-how?” she asked.

“Our family was involved with the Skräck from its creation, before the Confratelli. Our early ancestors were founding members, who raised a small group of rebels into a true army.” Willow said. Ruby turned to face her, expecting to see pride shining in her eyes, but that is not what she saw. It was only a deeply trenched sadness. “They saw injustice and they sought to change the world.”

“They wanted to rule, by destroying all opponents.” Ruby said. “That is fighting injustice, with further injustice.”

“Our methods may not have always been ideal, but they worked,” Lyla said. “The Skräck were a proud group, but they lacked. They did not have the stomach for true war, our ancestor saw that and they sought control.” Lyla told her. Ruby did not find pride within Lyla either, her eyes showed aged bitterness. “They resisted us, and our ancestors saw that they were not worth the effort.” She spat the words like they were meant to land on the Skräck’s face. “The Rotten’s broke away and formed their own faction, that was named the Confratelli.” 

“Brethren,” Ruby said with an almost amused laugh.

Willow smiled lightly at her. “You’ve done your research.”

“Since I first heard the name spoken, I have found all information the elves had regarding it.” 

“Which I’ll bet wasn’t much.” Lyla smirked.

“Hardly anything,” Ruby told them. “You were and still are a mystery to them.”

“But to you,” Willow said, her hands taking hold of Ruby’s. “we do not want to be a mystery.” Willow raised her voice as she spoke next, speaking like a god to his decibels.“Sister this is your destiny, the Confratelli is in your blood. Can’t you feel it, you are meant to bring order to this manic world with us!”

“No. I’m not.” 

The words hung in the air. Ruby’s body tensed, ready for the fight. For the final battle with her sisters. She saw the guns on their hips, and felt the magic flowing in their bodies, but…...they did not rise to the fight. Instead, a wide smile filled Lyla’s face.

“Good,” she said.

“Good?” Ruby question. What were they playing at now? “You don’t want me to join?”

“No,” Willow said. “In the past, our family has run wild with bloodlust, but when we took over after father’s death, we swore to put an end to it.”

“Then what was that mess in Africa?” Ruby asked.

“That was right after father died,” Lyla said. “Blossom was the oldest at that point, so she took control. She wanted us to rule together as four sisters, but she was naive in thinking she could force you to join. Just as she was naive in thinking we wanted to remain.”

“When father was alive, we had to follow him. It was our only choice.” Willow told her, voice taking on a tone of desperation. “We did horrible things,” Willow’s voice broke off, and Ruby could see the tears she was fighting to hold back. “but disobeying orders meant we were rebelling against the family, and we risked expulsion.

“Like me,” Ruby said. Was their father always so cruel? As a child, she didn’t see him that way. He was her papa, meant to protect her. He tucked her into bed at night, sang to her when she was upset, and always said he loved her. When she was little he had done all that, but when she started to embrace her differences…...that was when he pulled away.

There were moments from when she was little flashing in her mind, where her father would turn from a caring and loving man, into a monster. When he and mama would scream at the top of their lungs, arguing in an old language Ruby was never taught. Ruby would hide with her sisters under their covers, heads buried beneath pillows, trying to block out the sound.

How had he treated them after she left? Ruby was trapped in that house as a teenager, forced to play a role that she could never act well enough. But she was freed. When they forced her out, they freed her from her chains. Unwittingly giving her the freedom to explore who she could become. Her sisters didn't get that, they were forced into a family legacy. To join their father in a dangerous crusade, that already killed one of their sisters.

“Do you truly want the Confratelli to end?” Ruby asked. Lyla chuckled, and for the first time since they’d been reunited, a small smile formed on her lips.

“We don’t want this,” Willow told her. “Father made us his successors, and we had to lead after him. Blossom loved it, the fire and fury, the blood and death.” Willow shook her head, thinking of Blossom in her later years. “She was like him in so many ways, but we couldn’t follow them. The three of us is what is left, and we can put a stop to this. Once and for all.” Willow told her.

“Why have you waited so long?” Ruby asked. “You’ve been in charge since Blossom’s death, that was decades ago!”

“It’s complicated,” Lyla said.

“That is not an acceptable answer, Lyla,” Ruby told her sternly.

Willow sighed and then spoke. “Blossom brought the Confratelli to a new height. Our people loved her, and the cause she promoted. New followers flocked to her. When she died and leadership fell on our shoulders, it was already too late. She had dozens of plans happening behind the scenes that we couldn’t stop.”

“Assassination plots, wars, illegal trades. Her sticky fingers were dipping into all the honey jars.” Lyla said. “She’d dug us in deep, we’ve only managed to breach to the surface in the last few years.”

“Then came the process of dissolving the Confratelli, which hasn’t been as smooth as we’d hoped.” Willow said with another deep sigh. “Our biggest breakthrough with the dissolve actually came about because of you.”

“Me? How?” Ruby questioned.

“The Confratelli is built upon a magical contract of sorts, and the only to break it is if all current descendants of the founders renounce the cause together. We haven’t broken the contract yer because we haven’t been able to locate you. The charmed pendant you wear has an anti-tracking charm on it, correct?” Willow asked

“Yes,” Ruby Replied with a nod. 

Lyla spoke now. “We’d been trying to find you for years and hadn’t had any luck. You always had that pendant on and we couldn’t find you, until earlier this year when you took it off for an extended length of time.” Ruby’s mind flashed back to when she’d gotten sick. Sportacus had removed the pendant.

“Then another opportunity came in helping to dismantle the Confrontelli. Your boyfriend.” Willow told her.

“Sportacus?” Ruby questioned, eyebrow raised.

“When you started becoming close to a member of the elf high council. We’re not proud to say we used it to our advantage.” Willow told her, head cast down in shame. Ruby’s eyes burned in barely contained anger. What did they mean they used it to their advantage!

“What did you do?” Ruby asked calmly, hands balled into tight fists.

“We arranged for a false call out to go to the elves, to gather them together.”

“And you killed four of them,” Ruby said. She’d been wondering as to the fate of the missing elves. Willow nodded her head. So, they were dead. “You could have killed me,” Ruby said.

“No,” Willow said adamantly. “There were fail saves in place. Only the four that did die were suppose to. The remaining six were all supposed to survive, and they did.”

“Why were only those four targeted to die?”

“Because they would have fought and  _ never _ allowed the council to be disbanded. Eliminating those who would have been against the action was the only way it would have been agreed upon by the others.”

“Why disband the elves council in the first place?” Ruby asked. “And why take me?” Their plans didn’t make sense. Ruby’s mind wildly jumped at different scenarios, trying to piece their puzzled plan together. 

Lyla’s smile widened as she spoke. “We ended the council because over the years the Confratelli has gained many followers, and we needed to find a way to pacify them after we broke the contract. Ripping apart that bloody council was one of the ways we have chosen. As for taking you, that was for us. We need you here to break the contract, and truthfully we wanted to see our sister again.”

“Then why all this asking me to join?” Ruby asked. If they wanted it to end, why the attempted recruiting?

“We wanted to be sure you weren’t like Blossom,” Willow said. “The Confratelli are ruled by our families blood. If one day you choose to oppose us and take control for yourself, then the contract could be remade and our followers would shadow you without question. Kill on your command, at the snap of your finger.” Ruby was glad that warmongering wasn’t in her manifesto. “They love the thrill of the fight. Now that we’re disbanding, many of them plan to join the Skräck.”

“They’re bloodthirsty murderers!” Ruby yelled outraged. “You can’t let them run free, how is letting them run off to another bloodthirsty faction going to help anyone?” Lyla chuckled.

“Don’t worry about that,” Lyla said. ‘Over the recent years, we’ve been culling our people.” She smirked. “There have been quite a few ‘mishaps’ on missions lately, our numbers have dropped dramatically.” Her smile was replaced with a feral grin.

“You’re killing your own people!” That was outrageous. Murderers they may have been, but being betrayed by their own leaders, that was disgusting. They were soldiers, following their leader's orders, and their leaders had them killed. They may not have been innocents, but that wasn’t the proper way to handle them!

“You say you don’t want this life,” Ruby said through gritted teeth. “But you murder your own soldiers. How are you any better than them?”

Willow took a shaky breath and spoke. “Because at the end of the day we understand that what we did was wrong.”

“I have so much blood on my hands,” Lyla said. “I have ripped men's hearts out from their bodies, and felt the spray of blood on my face from the executioner's blade I have swung. No matter  _ how much _ I scrub my skin, I still feel that blood. Dry and forming another layer, on top of more blood.” Lyla was starting to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to live like this!”

“Please, Ruby. Help us,” Willow begged.

“How? What am I supposed to do?”

“In the morning we will give the message that the Confratelli is ending. After that, we want to run. To go far away, where no one will know our faces, where we can be safe…..and free.” Willow requested. “This is what we ask of you. Take us to your LazyTown.”

How could she say no? Part of her saw reason to, her sister’s were far from innocent, but this life hadn’t been their choice. Her sisters were in tears, begging to be freed from a life their father had shackled them to. Prisoners in a game of war.

Ruby spoke slowly. “LazyTown is made of all humans, aside from Sportacus and myself.” She didn’t want them to get there hopes up for a place they may not like. It was a peaceful town, but it wasn’t aware of magical creatures. They had to understand there were restrictions around it, they wouldn’t be truly free.

“We know, and we’re okay with that,” Willow said. “As long as you’ll have us, we will adhere to your rules. We don’t want to lose you again, sister.”

“Then it seems we have a plan,” Ruby said. She stepped forward and pulled her sisters into a tight, long overdue, hug. She remembered the last time she was able to embrace her sisters like this. So long ago now it had faded to almost nothing. Never again would she lose them.


	26. Chapter 26

Sportacus watched Ruby go. He saw her face, brave and unwavering, disappear in the blink of an eye. And then he and the elves stood alone in the park. Watching the spot where once they had stood. Quickly it faded from view as humans reclaimed the park, walking openly over the grass and paths. Whatever spell the Confratelli had been spinning to keep them away had ended, and now they roamed. A few stopped to stare and the strange group of elves and the singular short man with a braided beard beside them. 

“Let’s go inside,” Sportacus heard Vasha speak, but the words were distant. Eyes refused to move from the spot where Ruby had stood, maybe if he kept staring……..maybe she’d come back. His heart longed for that falsity, but his mind knew the truth.

Vasha pulled on his arm, leading him back towards the palace entrance. Sportacus meekly followed. Florian and Arno were speaking to each other nearby, but Sportacus couldn’t make out the words. Were they arguing? Those two didn’t argue, they got along best out of any of them. It was always Arno and Cecile, who was now joining in on the fight

“We should have fought when they showed themselves,” Arno said angrily.

“And risk the lives of the humans?” Cecile questioned. “If they truly have weapons of mass destruction, we _ cannot _ risk the humans.”

Sportacus didn’t interrupt their fight. Alphonse pulled them all back into the palace and Sportacus waved Vasha away, opting to walk back to his room alone. He needed space from their suffocating presence. They weren’t trying to crowd him, but any amount of people was just- too much, right now.

He needed a quiet space to think. He wound his way through the maze of halls leading to his room and hesitantly opened the room. It was all just the same, like it had been holding a breathe while he was gone, waiting for its two occupants to return. But only one did. Sportacus wasn’t sure why he expected the room to be different.

The sheets were still rumpled from his and Ruby’s morning activities. Their night clothes were thrown in piles leading to the bathroom, when they’d had to quickly dress.

Bags of clothes rested against the couch on the far right wall. Ruby had dozens of articles of clothes for her and Robbie. She’d wanted the two of them to look nice, and now the clothes were abandoned, without an owner to wear them. 

Sportacus sat down on the edge of the bed and laid back into the sheets. Ruby’s scent engulfed him. A running river, a spring meadow drizzled by rain, sea water. She was so undeniably covered by her own element, it trailed behind her. Sportacus found it soothing. A steady calm for the days of uncertainty to come.

He would see Ruby and Robbie again. He didn’t know when or how, but he would. He had faith. Though, not entirely sure where that faith was being placed, he was undoubtedly sure most of it was placed in Ruby and Robbie.

  
  


\-----------

 

Sportacus sat in his room for many days. He wasn’t moping per say, more hibernating. Food was set outside his room three times a day with the sound of a soft knock on the door. Vasha and Arno had both made attempts to coax him out of the room, and both had failed.

Sportacus spent his days lounging in the room, on the bed, on the cough; nestled in the corner with a blanket, pillows and a book. Reading was all he had to pass his time, nothing else seemed appealing, not even exercise. He forced himself into doing his workout routine, but he would give up after a few minutes. His heart wasn’t captivated by the feel of endorphins like it normally was.

He felt like a glutton, staying still all day and moving only to get food or use the bathroom. Ruby would return to him, only to find him two-hundred pounds heavier. The thought settled like a rock in his stomach and he set aside the sandwich he’d been munching on. He couldn’t keep letting himself live like this. He wouldn’t even consider this living!

It was on the sixth day of his self-isolation that he  _ finally _ left his room. It wasn’t far, and it was to a place where he knew he’d be alone. Company wasn’t something he sought at the moment. He actually ducked around a corner and hid behind a statue when he heard Cecile’s voice floating down an adjacent hallway.

The library was his sanctuary. A nook on one of the upper levels. It was separated like a luxury box in an opera house. This was the sole section of the library he’d found where the books weren’t lined in shelves on the walls, instead the shelves formed a maze shaped structure, with a large reading table in the middle. Thick red drapes covered the walls, canceling out any noise Sportacus made as he moved about.

He was trying not to worry, he really was. But six days was a very long time to spend wondering if the love of your life was dead or alive.  _ Alive! _ His mind would always scream at the thought of her possible death. The thought that she might be- his throat would close up, unable to swallow, barely able to breathe. Tears would well in his eyes and he’d fight them back. He refused!

The first day the feeling had crept over him slowly, a shadow on a sidewalk, slowly growing as the sun faded. He’d read books to drive it away, to focus his mind on a simple task. But it kept coming back. Quicker with its strike, lasting longer each time, digging their claws further beneath his skin.

He shut his book with a loud  _ snap _ ! Standing quickly, he tossed the book on a nearby end table and all but ran from the library. This palace was sucking the damn life from him, he needed to leave. If only for a little while. He would come back. Ruby would look for him here when she returned.

He ducked into his room and dressed in fresh clothes, that didn't smell like he hadn’t changed in days. Which he  _ totally _ hadn’t done.

At the palace entrance, Alphonse spirited him to the surface without a word and Sportacus went off into the city. No direction or location in mind. For the time being, he would wander. His mind was lost, and why not his body too?

When Ruby returned she would ask ‘what have you been up to while I was gone?”. Sat, read, and ate; that wasn’t the answer he wanted to give her. Outside the park he found many streets, and houses older than some countries. This city was breathtaking in its aged beauty. In LazyTown it was so crisp and new, everything in the states was. Such a young country compared to England. This was the parent of the wayward child. Sportacus saw a few similarities here that carried over to his home. Traditions that still clung tight, despite the years and distance.

The London Eye was lovely, Sportacus rode it all the way to the top. Then chastised himself for not bringing a camera. Ruby would have enjoyed it up here, looking down at the human tourists who were pointing out the landmarks.

As breathtaking as the scenery was, Sportacus couldn’t bring himself to enjoy it. Every time he’d start to get excited about something, he’d remember that Ruby wasn’t there to see it with him. His would be distraction was turning his mood sour.

He backtracked to wandering the city, watching absently through shop windows. As he walked back into the park he ran across a group of younger kids playing rugby in the grass. They weren’t much older than the children of LazyTown. Sportacus felt a pang in his heart. He missed them. He wondered what the kids were doing right now.

“Mind if I join!” Sportacus yelled at the group. 

“You any good?” one of the older kids asked. He wore blue basketball shorts and a white t-shirt and spoke with a sharp, posh accent.

“Any good?” He said with mock disbelief. “They don’t call be Sportacus for nothing!” He proclaimed happily. The kids looked at him with superior, all-knowing looks on their faces, sized him up, and dismissed him as a threat. He was placed with the team that had lost the last two matches. The leader of the opposing team was named Tyler, he wore the blue basketball shorts, and he was good. But Sportacus was better.

Sportacus’s team won the next two games. The games were hurried and informal, yet Sportacus rallied his team and they played like champions.

“Remember, the game is not about winning or losing it’s about enjoying the game and the time you get to spend with your friends,” He’d told them. The kids had hung on his every word. Their eyes bright and dazzling like they were staring directly into the sun. 

“We’re here most afternoons if you’re around to play,” Tyler told him.

“I’ll be here when I can, but I can’t make promises.” Sportacus shook Tyler's hand and waved them goodbye and walked back toward the palace entrance, his new admirers staring after him until he was out of view.

Back in the palace, for the first time in nearly a week he slept peacefully. Ruby may have been gone for the time being, but that didn’t been his life had to stop without her. He would soldier on until her return. However long that may be, he would wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're near the end of this journey. One more chapter to go.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The end. *tears*

Two weeks. Two weeks!

That was how long Robbie had been holed up with his sisters at their hidden base, and he was getting fed up with it! The deconstruction of their group wasn’t supposed to be this convoluted and drawn out. They’d said it would have been finished in a few days. Damn liars.

Now Robbie was trapped twiddling his thumbs and trying not to rip the heads off of their cronies that seemed to live in the walls and around every corner. They were unnerving. Black-clad ghosts that roamed at random. What was with the face shielding thing?

Willow promised that the last few of their soldiers were shipping in from overseas. Then they’d be officially removed, and Lyla and Willow would be able to dissolve the Confratelli and destroy the contract.

Throughout this time Robbie had been attempting to converse with the soldiers. They were stiff and unyielding when they were on duty. The only time they seemed to gain any semblance of individuality was when they crossed the threshold into the mess hall.

It was the largest building in the compound, lined with long tables on the inside. There weren’t nearly enough people to fill the seats, but at one time there must have been. Face masks were shed in the hall to allow them to eat, and Robbie was allowed brief glimpses of the people that served his family.

Robbie wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Snarling, scared, frightful people whose eyes glimmered with a barely contained bloodlust? That was what he assumed, but it wasn’t what he saw. They were people. Who despite Darrell’s words (Robbie had to remember he was pretty unreliable), weren’t immoral heathens.

“We are just doing our best to ensure a better world for the generation that follows us.” One of the soldiers had told him. She was a pink haired fairy. Her wings were tucked back, hidden away beneath her black uniform to conform her to the rest. A sadness lingered in her eyes as she spoke to Robbie. “My kind are throwaways, nothing in the eyes of many. I don’t want to be spoken to like I am nothing, to be seen like I am nothing.”

Robbie understood. He hated to admit it at first, but the more he learned the history’s that lead them here. He wanted to believe that in this day and age, these types of problems were behind them, but they were as present as ever. His family had sought justice in the past, to bring about a new order and force the world to a change it wasn’t ready for. And now their descendants were walking on jagged glass from the fallout they had caused.

His sisters never did anything to deserve this life.

  
  


\-----------

  
  


On the fifteenth day, it was finally time. Lyla, Willow, and Robbie stood together on a stage inside the base. Nearly two hundred soldiers stood at attention in front of them. Robbie was surprised, he’d expected more. But then again, Lyla had admitted they’d been strategically killing their own soldiers. Robbie wondered what the men and women before them would do if they knew that information.

It was a good thing Robbie knew how to keep his mouth shut, there were far too many loaded guns nearby for him not to be. It was unsettling, especially with how calm his sisters were throughout the process.

They gave a grand show about the many years of life the Confratelli had lived, but that in this new world they would no longer be needed. The soldiers remained silent, but Robbie felt the tension building in the air. They were not happy about this change. Many of them had risked their lives, lost friends and family to this cause, and they wanted to see the Confratelli live on in memory of them.

But they knew today was the final day. Willow and Lyla had been preparing them for it for years. It was an inevitability and the soldiers understood that their missions would no longer be lead by the Rotten family. The Confratelli died decades earlier with Blossom. All their current leaders did was hold them back, stagnating their goals. Now they would be free, which in Robbie’s opinion was a  _ terrible _ idea. Loosing murders and criminals on the world. Thankfully many sought to retire, but others were still itching to fight on.

“We are stronger than the rest, we are the future,” Lyla said. “But today we will be put to rest. The Confratelli shall from this day forth bow out from the world's conflicts.”

“If you all wish to fight, the Skräck will gladly take you. Or should you wish for a way to truly change this world for the better,” Willow paused for dramatic effect. “The high council of elves has agreed to disband and build a new council made up of one person from  _ every _ prominent magical race.” The soldiers gasped and stared at her in wide-eyed shock. Their statue appearance breaking, and Robbie felt the tension surrounding them drop.

The three spoke as one “Today we end and our sun shall set.” The soldiers repeated the words back to them. The normal monotone voices he was use to hearing from the soldiers had broken their norm, they sounded almost…...hopeful? “You shall always be my brothers and sisters in my heart, and I wish you all good fortune in the future.” They stood erect, boots stomping to attention, with a final salute. Willow and Lyla returned the salute, as did Robbie. A rippling effect went through the area as the contract was denounced. The Confratelli was no more. 

Afterward, Robbie, Willow, and Lyla headed away from the main base and into the forests beyond. The soldiers had left in groups after the dissolve, heading off to murder and terrorize innocents more than likely. Robbie had the urge to run them down, and stamp them out like cigarettes. But the urge to leave behind this place and return to Sportacus was greater.

Tree branches snapped underfoot as they traversed the forest through an unmarked path. Robbie winced as sunlight that snuck through the canopy above periodically blinded him.

“It’s not much farther,” Willow said, an unusual giddiness in her voice. “You’re going to love it!”

“What is it?”

Lyla chuckled and simply said. “You’ll see.”

Willow lead them to a clearing in the forest, where the trees vanished, replaced with waist high grass dotted with wildflowers that bathed in the warm sunlight. Inside the clearing was a sight he hadn’t expected. Robbie grinned and took his sister’s hands. It was a beautiful day to be free.

  
  


\----------

  
  


Sportacus was playing with Tyler and his friends in the park. Now they’d grown an even bigger team in the last week, made up of both children and adults. Multiple games were running at the same time and everyone was laughing, enjoying the summer weather without care. The parents played a more advanced game, laden with the traditional rule sets, while kids were playing a more lax, carefree game of rugby. The parents loved Sportacus for getting their kids so happy about exercising.

“I’ve been trying to get Daniel outside for months to play.” One of the mothers, Susan was her name, said to him. “He won’t listen to me though. It was Tyler who convinced him, after he heard about all your flipping around, Daniel couldn’t wait to come out and play.” There was a round of ‘here here's’ from the other parents.

“I’m glad that I can be here to teach them the importance of proper exercise,” Sportacus told them happily. “I just hope they remember after I leave.” There was a collective groan of anguish from the parents.

“When do you plan on leaving?” Robert, Tyler’s father, asked.

“Not sure,” Sportacus told them. “I came to London with a friend, and they had to leave on business, and I’m staying with some friends here until they return. Might be weeks or even months.” If it took years, he’d wait. Sportacus had the time.

“You’re a good friend,” Susan said. “Does your frien-”

Susan never finished her sentence, as a dark shadow blocked out the sun above them, and the trees above them rustled violently as the air around them whipped into a frenzy. 

Sportacus craned his head up to see what was causing the chaos, and his eyes widened in shock. Above the trees floated…….an airship? An airship! Sportacus choked out a laugh. There was only one person who he knew would make an entrance like this.

The belly of the ship opened up and down came a ladder with an instantly recognizable face.

“Robbie!” Sportacus yelled, waving his arms up to catch his attention. The ladder lowered until it touched the ground and Robbie hopped onto the grass. Sportacus was to him in an instant, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Sportacus buried his head in the crook of his neck.

“I missed you,” He whispered.

“I know. I’m sorry I made you wait for me,” Robbie said rubbing light, comforting circles into Sportacus’s back. Sportacus laughed and took a step back.

“I’d have waited a lot longer, trust me on that,” Sportacus told him. Robbie nodded in understanding. “Everything’s good?” Sportacus asked, eyeing the airship above. It wasn’t the one he’d lost to the sea, but it was very similar. Aside from the blank grey exterior. That lacked the flourish and pounce of his trademark number 10 logo.

“Everything is perfect,” Robbie assured him with a smile.

“Are you leaving, Sportacus?” Robbie and Sportacus turned to see the crowd that had formed around them. The games had stopped, balls lay discarded on the ground, and many of the children held barely restrained tears in their eyes.

“I am,” He told them gently. “My time with you all has been wonderful.” He glanced around at the dozens of children and parents that surrounded them.

“Don’t go.” A younger girl said, she was a year or two younger than Stephanie. Her brown eyes glistened, her voice cracking over those two small words. Sportacus smiled sadly and bent down beside her.

“I’m sorry, but my time in London is over,” Sportacus said. The children sniffled, wiping quickly at their faces to try and not let Sportacus see. “You should all be proud of yourselves for everything you’ve accomplished this last week. I may not be around to play anymore, but you can still play with each other.”

“But not with you,” The girl said.

“I may not be here to play in body, but as long as you remember me after I’m gone, then I will always be here in spirit. “He told them. “If you can do that, I’ll never truly be gone. Can you all do that?” The children nodded their heads and said quiet words of agreement through their tears.

Robbie watched on, once again proud of the man he loved. It was always amazing to see him act so natural and perfect around children. Teaching him the lessons that he knew best. A teacher passing on his wisdom to knowledge-hungry pupils.

The children hugged him, as did many of the parents. He and Robbie waved a farewell as they grasped the rungs of the ladder. The ladder jolted upwards, hoisting them high into the air. Sportacus watched as the children who waved their hands wildly, faded to the size of ants. Disappearing all together when the ladder pulled them inside the ship and the doors snapped shut.

Sportacus turned and saw Lyla and Willow standing nearby. The hidden operators of the ladder. Sportacus cast a questioning look to Robbie.

“Willow and Lyla are joining us on our return to LazyTown,” He said. Sportacus glanced back over to the two women. Gone were their black military uniforms. Instead, they dressed in simple pants and tunics.

“We’ve retired,” Willow said. “No more of that nasty business for us.” She glanced to Robbie. “Our priorities right now our family. To remember the sister we lost so many years ago.” Willow’s hand reached out and took Robbie’s. “And to finally get to know our brother.” 

Sportacus took a deep breath. “All right then.” He smiled at Robbie. If Robbie trusted his sister's words  _ and _ that they wouldn’t cause trouble in LazyTown, then that was good enough for him. “So, now we head home?” Robbie smiled and nodded.

“Oh, yes!” Willow said excitedly. “Robbie has been telling us of your town, we can’t wait to see it in person.

“You’ll like it, I’ve never met a soul who didn’t,” Sportacus told them. The four walked out of what Sportacus believed was the cargo bay, and into what appeared to be the control room. A large bay of windows spanned the wall in front of them, stretching out a wide view of London. “This is a magnificent airship.”

“It’s yours,” Lyla said. Sportacus furrowed his brow in confusion. “Consider it compensation for destroying your last one.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possib-” A sharp jab to his ribs cut him off.

“He thanks you for the gracious gift,” Robbie said. Lyla smiled and lead them to the ships control chair.

“Give her a whirl, see how she flys,” Lyla said. Sportacus stepped up and took a seat in the chair. It was different than his old ship, it didn’t disconnect, so he couldn’t pilot his own one-man craft, but he was sure Robbie could find some ingenious way to rig it up. It was built like a commercial airplane, which Sportacus could fly easy enough.

He took hold of the wheel and urged the ship forward, moving them out from over the park and away from London. The city had been nice, but his heart called for home. 

A warm hand rested on his shoulder. He glanced up and saw Robbie smiling down at him. His sisters standing right beside him. They looked at the sky in front of them, eagerly watching the changing scenery.

Sportacus looked forward again, eyes trained for home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, so happy to have written this story. It was an......interesting journey. I'll confess now, when I started writing this my only plot idea was 'genderfluid Robbie Rotten, with a Sportacus romance'. The rest of the stories plot was written as I went. This is definitely not the ending I was expecting when I first started writing, but I am super proud of my work. Hope you've all enjoyed!


End file.
